Haji Salim remanded for 5 days in student murder case

He has been arrested in connection with the murder of Ideal College student

Former Awami League MP Haji Mohammad Salim has been placed on a five-day remand for questioning in connection with the murder of Khalid Hasan Saifullah, a first-year student at Ideal College during the quota reform movement.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Akhteruzzaman granted the remand on Monday after Lalbagh Police Station Sub Inspector Akkas Mia, the investigation officer in the case, sought a 10-day remand.

Police had arrested Salim late on Sunday night.

According to the case dossier, on Jul 18 at 6pm, a peaceful rally of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement was attacked with stun grenades, tear shells, rubber bullets, and gunfire near building No. 7 in the government residential area of Azimpur.

Several unarmed students, including Ifti, Jubayer, Tanvir, and Ismail, were injured.

Khalid was shot in the chest and abdomen and later declared dead at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

Salim was elected as MP from the Dhaka-8 seat for the first time in 1996. He ran as an Awami League candidate in 2001 and lost to his BNP rival Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu.

In 2014, after failing to secure the Awami League’s nomination, Salim ran as an independent for the Dhaka-7 seat. He beat the Awami League’s Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin in the race and formed an alliance with 16 other independent MPs in parliament.

In 2018, he was given the Awami League nomination and was re-elected to the seat.

His post came under question when he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in a corruption case. He went to jail, but was later released on bail.

He did not contest this year’s general election.

His son, Solaiman Mohammad Salim, ran on the Awami League ticket for the Dhaka-7 seat and won.