Former Awami League lawmaker Haji Salim, who represented the Dhaka-8 constituency, was detained on Sunday, 1 September, from the Bangshal area of the capital. A team from the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) apprehended him during a raid following a tip-off, according to DB (North) Joint Commissioner Rabiul Islam Bhuyian.
Commissioner Bhuyian confirmed the detention, stating that Haji Salim is implicated in several cases, but it remains unclear under which specific charge he will be formally arrested.
In 2022, a Dhaka court sentenced Haji Salim to prison in a case initiated by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for accumulating wealth beyond his known income sources. Thirteen years earlier, Haji Salim had been jailed for a month in connection with this case before being released on bail. Despite the charges, he was re-elected to parliament twice during this period.
The ACC originally filed a case against Haji Salim and his wife, Gulshan Ara, on 24 September 2007, accusing them of illicitly amassing wealth and hiding information in their wealth declarations. The trial concluded with a verdict on 27 April 2008, sentencing Haji Salim to 13 years in prison. The sentence included 10 years for amassing illegal wealth, along with a Tk10 lakh fine, and an additional three years for concealing wealth information. The court ruled that both sentences would be served concurrently.
