Arms case against Erfan Salim: court defers hearing on probe report till Feb 18

A Dhaka tribunal today deferred hearing till February 18 on the probe report submitted by police, clearing Mohammad Erfan Salim -- son of Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Salim -- from an arms case.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Special Tribunal-1 of Dhaka passed the order after scrutinising the case dockets and other relevant documents.

On January 11, the same tribunal fixed today for hearing on the probe report after receiving the case from the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.

Chawkbazar police on January 5 submitted the probe reports of arms and drug cases to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.

In their final report, Chawkbazar police said they did not find evidence to prove the charges against Erfan Salim in two cases filed under the narcotics control and arms acts.

Erfan's bodyguard Md Zahidul Mollah, however, was charged with possession of an illegal firearm and narcotics.

Erfan was arrested after a case was filed against him on the charge of "attacking" Lt Wasif Ahmed Khan of Bangladesh Navy in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area on October 25 last year.

On October 26 last year, a mobile court of Rab handed six months' imprisonment to Erfan for keeping walkie-talkies illegally and the other six months for possessing illegal alcohol.