A Dhaka court has rejected the bail petitions of former Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddique and 15 others in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, ordering them to be sent to jail.
On Friday, after a hearing on the investigating officer’s plea, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque issued the order. The case’s Investigating Officer, SI Toufiq Hasan of Shahbagh Police Station, requested that the accused be kept in jail. The matter was confirmed by SI Jinnat Ali of the prosecution police.
The other accused in the case include Dhaka University Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman (Curzon), Md. Abdullah Al Amin, Manjurul Alam, Kazi ATM Anisur Rahman Bulbul, Golam Mostafa, Md. Mohiul Islam alias Babu, Md. Zakir Hossain, Md. Tousiful Bari Khan, Md. Amir Hossain Sumon, Md. Al Amin, Md. Nazmul Ahsan, Syed Shahed Hasan, Md. Shafiqul Islam Delowar, Dewan Mohammad Ali, and Md. Abdullahil Kaiyum.
The incident originated during a discussion program at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) auditorium, where chaos broke out and several people, including Abdul Latif Siddique, were taken into police custody after an alleged mob attack.
According to the case statement, on August 28 at 11 a.m., the complainant observed that a group of people had surrounded individuals at the DRU auditorium, chanting slogans against the “Awami fascists,” while Abdul Latif Siddique was delivering a speech. During interrogation, it was revealed that on August 5, a platform named Mancha 71 was launched, allegedly aimed at resisting attempts to erase or distort the history of the Liberation War. As part of its preparation, a roundtable meeting was held on August 28 at 10 a.m., attended by 70–80 people, including the accused.
Police claim Siddique exploited the Mancha 71 banner to incite unrest and deliver a “conspiratorial speech,” urging for an armed struggle to destabilize the country and overthrow the interim government. His remarks allegedly provoked attendees, who surrounded him chanting anti-government slogans.
The prosecution argued that the case is still under investigation, and for the sake of a proper inquiry and verification of the accused’s identities, they must remain in custody until the investigation is complete.
