Former textiles and jute minister Abdul Latif Siddique has been arrested by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) in connection with the case over the killings and crimes against humanity committed during the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel on 5 May 2013.
He was arrested from his residence in the capital’s Gulshan area on Wednesday evening. Confirming the matter, DB Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam told journalists that Siddique had been arrested on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Siddique appeared before a Dhaka court in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act with the Shahbagh Police Station.
Although the day had been fixed for the submission of the investigation report, police failed to submit it. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana subsequently set 7 September as the new date for the submission of the report. Siddique and the other accused were present in the court. His lawyer, Golam Rabbani, confirmed the matter to journalists.
Speaking to reporters on the court premises after the hearing, Siddique said he was the 10th accused in the case over the killings and crimes against humanity linked to the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar.
He said he had learnt that morning that the ICT had issued an arrest warrant against him. He also said that, if police had not arrested him, he had planned to surrender before the tribunal next Sunday or Monday.
Last Monday, a three-member bench of ICT-2, headed by Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam, took cognisance of the formal charges submitted by the prosecution in the case. At the same time, it issued arrest warrants against 41 people, including fugitive deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former army chief General Aziz Ahmed.
Nine people had already been arrested in the case, including former minister Dipu Moni, former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan, former inspector general of police (IGP) KM Shahidul Haque, Shahriar Kabir, former deputy inspector general (DIG) Abdul Jalil Mondal, and journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu. Siddique’s arrest brings the total number of arrested accused to 10.
Earlier, on 28 August last year, Siddique, journalist Panna and 14 others were taken into police custody after they came under a mob attack during a discussion on the Liberation War and the Constitution at Dhaka Reporters Unity. The following day, police filed a case against them with the Shahbagh Police Station, alleging a conspiracy to destabilise the country and overthrow the interim government.
According to the case statement, an organisation called “Moncho 71” was launched on 5 August last year with the aim of preventing attempts to erase and distort the history of the Liberation War. It said the organisation sought to prepare for self-sacrifice alongside the people of Bangladesh to resist all conspiracies to erase the nation’s achievements. As part of that effort, it organised a roundtable discussion at 10:00am on 28 August.
Former secretaries Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam and Abu Alam Shahid Khan were later arrested in the same case.
After both the magistrate’s court and the sessions court rejected Siddique’s bail petitions, his lawyer filed an application with the High Court.
On 6 November last year, a High Court bench comprising Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Sagir Hossain granted interim bail to Siddique and journalist Manzurul Alam Panna.
The state later appealed against the bail order. After hearing the appeal, a three-member Appellate Division bench led by Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury upheld the High Court’s decision on 10 November.
Following the arrival of the bail documents, Siddique was released from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on 12 November last year.
