Haji Selim, Saifur's son sent to jail

Former Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selim and former finance minister M Saifur Rahman's younger son Shafiur Rahman Babu were sent to jail after they surrendered before two Dhaka courts yesterday in connection with graft cases.The two were earlier convicted for 13 years' imprisonment each in absentia in the cases filed against them for amassing wealth illegally and concealing wealth statements submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).Judge Sirajul Islam of the Special Judge's Court-7 passed the order rejecting Selim's bail petition after he appeared before it and sought bail in the case. The court also directed the jail authorities to provide him with first class division in jail.Moving the petition, lawyers told the court that their client was earlier sentenced in absentia and later he (Selim) had appeared before the High Court (HC) seeking bail. The HC asked their client to surrender to the trial court. So, their client appeared before it and sought bail. On April 27 last year, Selim was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment for amassing wealth worth Tk 14.65 crore illegally and concealing wealth information of Tk 8.70 crore submitted to the ACC.Selim was also fined Tk 10 lakh, in default, to suffer one year more in jail. His wife Gulshan Ara Begum was also sentenced to three years' imprisonment for abetting his husband in acquiring illegal wealth. The judge also ordered confiscation of all his ill-gotten assets worth Tk 27 crore.ACC Assistant Director Mahabubul Alam filed the case with Lalbagh Police Station against Selim and his wife on September 24, 2007.Meanwhile, a large number of Selim's supporters gathered outside the courthouse and chanted slogans demanding withdrawal of the case filed against Haji Selim.CASE AGAINST BABU Judge Jesmin of the Special Judge's Court-4 ordered to send Saifur Rahman's son Babu to jail when he appeared before it and sought bail in the case in which he was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment.He was convicted for amassing Tk 13.85 crore through illegally and concealing information of wealth worth Tk 1.2 crore to ACC. Babu was also fined Tk 15 lakh, in default, to suffer two and a half years' more in jail. The court also ordered confiscation of all his ill-gotten assets. ACC Deputy Director Sharmin Ferdousy filed the case against Babu with Ramna Police Station on April 29 last year.