Fourteen individuals, including former Awami League minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui and Dhaka University law professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Karzon, were detained following a violent confrontation during a roundtable discussion at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Thursday.
The event, titled “Our Great Liberation War and the Constitution of Bangladesh,” was disrupted when a group, identifying as “July Fighters,” stormed the venue, accusing the participants of being affiliated with the Awami League. The attackers, some armed with sticks, verbally abused and physically intimidated attendees, forcing them to stop the event. The chaos led to Siddiqui and Karzon being detained, along with other participants.
A video capturing the incident showed a freedom fighter being assaulted by the group, with protests and slogans echoing through the venue. In response to the violence, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, accusing the detainees of orchestrating the mob attack that led to the disruption.
The Anti-Terrorism Act, designed to address terrorism-related crimes, grants authorities the power to arrest and prosecute those accused of terrorism. However, the law has come under scrutiny for its potential to suppress free expression and silence opposition voices.
Freedom fighter platform Gaurab ’71 condemned the attack, labeling it a “calculated assault” by anti-liberation forces aimed at undermining the country’s democratic spirit. They called for the restoration of rights and freedom of speech in Bangladesh.
The political and legal implications of the incident are being closely monitored, with concerns growing over the potential erosion of democratic processes and the state’s response to peaceful protests.