Abdul Latif Siddique, a former member of the Awami League Presidium, announced on Wednesday that he will surrender to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) next Sunday or Monday if he is not arrested beforehand.
The veteran politician made this statement to journalists while appearing at court for a hearing in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Shahbagh Police Station. The tribunal case in question relates to allegations of murder and crimes against humanity during the Shapla Chattrar incident, where Siddique is named as the tenth accused.
“I know that if I did not appear today, it would be assumed that I have gone into hiding. I do not generally go into hiding; I always prefer to appear publicly,” Siddique told reporters.
“That is why I have come to court today. Now, if the police do not arrest me, I will surrender myself at the tribunal next Sunday or Monday.”
Back on 29 August, Siddique was sent to jail alongside 15 others, including Hafizur Rahman Karzon and Md Abdullah Al Amin, in connection with the same anti-terrorism case. He later secured bail from the High Court on 6 November.
According to the case statement, the charges stem from an incident on August 28 at the Dhaka Reporters Unity. An organisation named “Mancha 71” – formed to protest the distortion of the history of the Liberation War – had organised a roundtable discussion.
It is alleged that a group of individuals entered the venue shouting slogans, creating chaos, tearing down banners, and harassing several participants.
Following the disturbance, police detained 16 individuals from the scene, and Sub-Inspector Amirul Islam of Shahbagh Police Station subsequently filed the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Other accused in the case include journalists Manzurul Alam Panna, Kazi ATM Anisur Rahman Bulbul, Golam Mostafa, Mohiul Islam Babu, Zakir Hossain, Toushiful Bari Khan, Amir Hossain Suman, Al Amin, Nazmul Ahsan, Syed Shahed Hasan, Shafiqul Islam Delwar, Dewan Mohammad Ali, and Abdullahil Kaiyum.
During his appearance, Siddique also addressed the historical figure of 30 lakh (three million) martyrs of the Liberation War. He stated that while the number is established, it does not mean all died in direct combat on the battlefield.
According to his assessment, the figure represents a collective total of those who lost their lives due to the Pakistani forces’ massacres, torture, rape, arson, attacks while fleeing, and lack of medical treatment during the war.
He further mentioned that unnecessary controversy regarding this number should be avoided.
