Haji Salim's son indicted in Navy officer assault case

A Dhaka court on Wednesday (February 8, 2023) framed charges against Awami League lawmaker Haji Md Salim's son Md Erfan Salim and four others in a case filed over allegedly assaulting and attempt to kill a Bangladesh Navy officer in 2020.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Asaduzzaman Nur passed the order and also issued an arrest warrant against Erfan as he was absent during Wednesday's hearing on the ground of sickness. A prayer was also submitted seeking time on behalf of Erfan Salim.
 
Besides, Erfan's lawyer Sree Pran Nath prayed for deferral of the hearing as he remained occupied with Dhaka Bar Association election.

Following the hearing, the judge rejected both the prayers and framed charges against Erfan Salim. Besides, the court issued an arrest warrant against him. Moreover, the court set March 6 for recording the depositions of the witnesses.

The other four indicted accused are Erfan's bodyguard Md Zahidul Molla, driver Mizanur Rahman, Madina Group's protocol officer AB Siddique Dipu and Erfan's assistant Kazi Ripon. Of them, Zahidul is now in jail, Mizanur and Dipu are on bail while Kazi Ripon has been absconding. When the judge read out charges against the accused, Zahidul, Mizanur and Dipu claimed themselves as innocent.

According to the case documents, Lt Wasif Ahmad Khan of the Bangladesh Navy and his wife were crossing Kalabagan signal on their bike on October 25, 2020 evening. Just at that time, the SUV of Haji Salim's son and councilor of Ward No. 30 of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Erfan Selim rammed the bike from behind. Keeping his motorbike on the roadside, the Navy official got down and stood in front of the SUV. At that time, Erfan Selim and his men got down from the SUV and allegedly started punching him on his face and threatened to kill him. They also hurled abusive language at  his wife.

The Navy official on October 26, 2020 filed the case against Erfan, his bodyguard Md Zahidul Molla, protocol officer AB Siddique Dipu, driver Mizanur Rahman and 2/3 unidentified persons at Dhanmondi Police Station in the capital.

Investigating officer (IO) and sub-inspector of the Detective Branch (DB) Md Mominul Huq submitted chargesheet against the five accused in the case on February 11, 2021.