Former minister Latif Siddique, arrested under anti-terrorism laws at Shahbagh police station, refused to apply for bail, expressing a lack of trust in the court. Siddique, who appeared before the court in handcuffs, a helmet, and a bulletproof jacket, stood smiling in the dock as proceedings unfolded.
Siddique, who was arrested on Thursday afternoon from a roundtable discussion at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), refused to sign the power of attorney for his lawyer, citing his distrust in the court system. He also declined to apply for bail. “Why would I seek bail from a court that lacks the power to grant it?” he said, according to his lawyer, Advocate Saiful Islam Saif.
The court, led by Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque, sentenced 16 individuals, including Siddique and Dhaka University professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Karzon, to jail. The decision came after the investigating officer’s request to keep the accused in custody. The case involves a wide range of suspects, including 70 to 80 unidentified individuals.
Siddique’s refusal to engage with the court came after the session, where most of the other defendants signed their power of attorney.
Siddique’s lawyer, Farzana Yasmin Rakhi, and others had requested bail, but public prosecutor Mohammad Shamshuddoha Suman opposed the motion. After hearing both sides, the court ordered the accused to remain in custody.
Earlier, Siddique and others were detained following the roundtable discussion titled “Our Great Liberation War and the Constitution of Bangladesh.” Police confirmed that a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act was filed later that night.
The 16 accused individuals include Abdullah Al Amin (73), Manjurul Alam (49), Kazi ATM Anisur Rahman Bulbul (72), Golam Mustafa (81), Mohiul Islam (64), Zakir Hossain (74), Touhsiful Bari Khan (72), Amir Hossain Suman (37), Al Amin (40), Nazmul Ahsan (35), Syed Shahed Hasan (36), Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Deloar (64), Dewan Mohammad Ali (50), and Abdullahil Kayyum (61).