The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld the bail granted to former minister and expelled Awami League leader Abdul Latif Siddique in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Justice Zubair Rahman Chowdhury, delivered the order on Monday, rejecting the state’s appeal against the High Court’s bail decision.
Barrister Sara Hossain appeared for Latif Siddique during the hearing, while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman and Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque represented the state.
Earlier on Thursday, the High Court bench comprising Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Sagir Hossain granted bail to Latif Siddique, who had been arrested in a case lodged with the Shahbagh Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The state subsequently challenged the order before the Appellate Division.
According to case records, a citizens’ platform named Mancha 71 was formed on 5 August to “resist conspiracies to erase and distort the history of the Liberation War.” The organisation arranged a discussion at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on 28 August, which was allegedly disrupted when a group of individuals stormed the venue, chanted slogans, vandalised banners, and confined participants.
Witnesses stated that while many attendees were forced out, Abdul Latif Siddique and Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman were kept under siege until police intervened and detained 16 people. Sub-Inspector Amirul Islam later filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Shahbagh Police Station.
Those accused in the case include Md Abdullah Al Amin, 73; Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Karzon, 55; Manjurul Alam, 49; Kazi ATM Anisur Rahman Bulbul, 72; Golam Mostafa, 81; Md Mohiul Islam alias Babu, 64; Md Zakir Hossain, 74; Md Toushiful Bari Khan, 72; Md Amir Hossain Sumon, 37; Md Al Amin, 40; Md Nazmul Ahsan, 35; Syed Shahed Hasan, 36; Md Shafiqul Islam Delwar, 64; Dewan Mohammad Ali, 50; and Md Abdullahil Qayyum, 61.
Later, former secretaries Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam and Abu Alam Shahid Khan were also arrested in connection with the same case.
