Former minister Abdul Latif Siddique has secured bail in a case filed under the Anti-terrorism Act. A High Court bench of Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Sagir Hossain granted the bail petition on Thursday. Now, there is no legal bar for Latif Siddique to walk out from prison.
Assistant Attorney General Ibrahim Khalil said an appeal against this bail order will be submitted.
On August 29, 16 individuals, including Latif Siddique and a Dhaka University Professor, were sent to jail in the case filed with Shahbagh Police Station. The case has been lodged by the police station SI Md Amirul Islam.
According to the case statement, an organisation named "Mancha 71" was launched on August 5 with the stated aim of resisting conspiracies to erase or distort the history of the Liberation War.
The organisation's stated objective was to mobilise people and prepare for self-sacrifice to resist any conspiracy aimed at erasing the nation's achievements. As part of this plan, a roundtable discussion was arranged at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in Segunbagicha on August 28. During the event, a group of people reportedly entered the venue shouting slogans, closed the doors and harassed several participants. They allegedly tore down banners and kept the attendees confined inside the room.
Although most guests were eventually allowed to leave, Latif Siddique and Hafizur Rahman were allegedly held inside. Later, police arrived at the scene and arrested 16 people.
PT/ra
