Former Minister Latif Siddiqui Granted Bail

The High Court has granted bail to former Textile and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act filed at Shahbagh Police Station in Dhaka.

On Thursday (November 6), the High Court bench comprising Justice A S M Abdul Mobin and Justice Sagir Hossain issued the order.

Latif Siddiqui’s lawyer, Z I Khan Panna, stated that the order removes any obstacles to Siddiqui’s release from prison. Assistant Attorney Generals Ibrahim Khalil and Al Amin Hossain represented the state in court that day.

Earlier, on Thursday, August 28, former MP Abdul Latif Siddiqui, along with 14 others including university teachers and journalists, was taken into police custody after being targeted in a ‘mob attack’ during a discussion event at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU).

According to police, a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act was subsequently filed against all 15 individuals at Shahbagh Police Station. The court ordered their imprisonment the following day, on August 29.

The case details state that “to prevent the deep conspiracy to erase the history of the Liberation War and to stop its distortion, a group named ‘Moncho 71’ emerged on August 5. The group aims to resist all attempts to erase the nation’s achievements by mobilizing the people of Bangladesh for self-sacrifice. As part of the preparation, a roundtable meeting was held on the morning of August 28 at 10 AM.”

Khaborwala/TSN