At 9:30 in the morning today, Friday, expelled Awami League member and former minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Dhaka University law department professor Hafizur Rahman Karzon, and journalist Manzurul Alam Panna were brought in a prison van to the front of the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court. The van then proceeded toward the lockup.
An hour and a half later, they emerged from the lockup. Siddiqui wore a police helmet and a bulletproof vest, with both hands behind him, though he was not handcuffed. Behind him walked Dhaka University law department professor Hafizur Rahman, also wearing a bulletproof vest and police helmet. His right hand was handcuffed, and in his left hand he held the Constitution of Bangladesh. He lifted the constitution high with his left hand. Later, they were taken to the dock, reports Prothom Alo.
No trust in the court, says Latif Siddiqui
A public lawyer approached Abdul Latif Siddiqui, who was standing in the dock, wanting his signature for a power of attorney. Siddiqui told the lawyer that he had no confidence in the court and, for that reason, would not appoint any lawyer. The lawyer then asked whether Siddiqui himself wished to make any statement in court. Siddiqui replied that he would not present any statement to the court either.
At 10:35 am, Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque of the CMM Court arrived in the courtroom. The investigating officer of the case, and Shahbagh police station’s sub-inspector (SI) Toufiq Hasan, requested that Siddiqui and 15 others be kept in custody. Toufiq Hasan said: “Your Honour, yesterday at around 11 am, while on duty, I learned that some people at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity were being surrounded and slogans were being chanted calling them Awami fascists. I saw one person standing and making a speech. That person was Abdul Latif Siddiqui. Upon questioning him, I learned that an organisation named `Mancha 71` had been formed to prevent the erasure of the history of the Liberation War and to stop distortions of that history.”
Police officer Toufiq Hasan said, “Your Honour, upon questioning those present, it was learned that Abdul Latif Siddiqui, by leveraging Manch-71, has in fact conspired to destabilise the country through an armed struggle and overthrow the current interim government.”
At this stage, Additional Public Prosecutor (PP) Shamsuddoha Suman requested that Abdul Latif Siddiqui be kept in custody. He said, “Your Honour, the organisation named Manch-71 was formed on 5 August, the day the Sheikh Hasina government fell due to the mass uprising of students and citizens. The accused, including Abdul Latif Siddiqui, and the other accused are all beneficiaries of fascist Hasina. Over the past 17 years they have, in one way or another, received benefits from fascist Hasina.”
PP Shamsuddoha added, “Your Honour, the intention of Abdul Latif Siddiqui is to bring fascist Hasina back into the country and are engaged in a conspiracy to overthrow the current government.”
Submitting the request to keep Siddiqui in custody, PP Shamsuddoha said, “In another case concerning a conspiracy to overthrow the interim government, several people, including a major’s wife, have already been arrested. Abdul Latif Siddiqui and others are also involved in this conspiracy. We will soon file a request to take them on remand. They will be questioned in custody to determine who are their accomplices and who else is involved in the conspiracy to overthrow the government.”
We were attacked, yet police arrested us: Hafizur Rahman
While PP Shamsuddoha was presenting this statement, Dhaka University professor Hafizur Rahman, standing in the dock, requested permission from the court to speak. After being granted permission, Hafizur Rahman raised the Constitution with his left hand and said, “Your Honour, I am a professor in the Dhaka University law department. We are not being given the rights granted to a citizen under Article 33 of the Constitution. No reason has been given for my arrest. I have not been given an opportunity to consult with any lawyer.”
Hafizur Rahman further said, “I am not involved in Awami League politics. I was invited as a discussant by the organisers of the Manch-71 event to speak on the Liberation War and the Constitution. Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna and Constitution drafter Dr. Kamal Hossain were also supposed to attend. Present there were Dhaka University professor Mesbah Kamal, former Dhaka University professor Syed Anwar Hossain, and former secretary Abu Alam Shahid Khan.”
Referring to the case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Hafizur Rahman said, “The case that has been filed against me is false. Yesterday, a group of terrorists attacked us, but instead of arresting them, the police arrested us and filed a false case. My reputation has been tarnished. The room where the police kept us had no fan. I could not sleep the whole night. I request to be granted bail…”
Hafizur Rahman complained to the court that the statements made about them by the Public Prosecutor were false. He further alleged that instead of addressing the case itself, the PP was making political statements in court.
Where were these intellectuals back then: APP
When Professor Hafizur Rahman was standing in the dock and speaking loudly, Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) Kaiyum Hossain, who was present in the courtroom, protested. APP Kaiyum Hossain said, “Your Honour, one of fascist Hasina’s close associates, Abdul Latif Siddique, is standing in the dock as the accused. He has made derogatory remarks about the Islam religion. And those who are saying that the prosecution is making political statements, are hypocrites, thieves and collaborators of fascist Hasina. During the fascist Hasina regime, we saw how journalist Mahmudur Rahman and others were harassed. The court sentenced them and sent them to jail in false cases. Where were these so-called intellectuals then?”
Why the handcuffs on a journalist: Manjurul Alam
At this point, journalist Manjurul Alam Panna, standing in the dock, began speaking loudly. He said, “Your Honour, I must be allowed to speak. What crime have we committed? Why are there handcuffs on a journalist’s hands? We did not go there to conspire to overthrow the government. We went there to speak about the Liberation War. Is speaking about the Liberation War a crime? Are we terrorists...?”
After journalist Manjurul Alam Panna finished his statement, his lawyer Farzana Yasmin began to speak. Farzana Yasmin said, “Journalist Manjurul Alam went there as a discussant to speak on the Liberation War. A mob was incited and a freedom fighter was humiliated. That video has gone viral on social media. Instead of arresting those who created the mob and harassed the country’s eminent professors, journalists, and writers, the police arrested innocent people and sought to keep them in prison under the Anti-Terrorism Act. This is a form of judicial harassment. The accused should be granted bail.”
Latif Siddiqui did not say anything in court. After hearing arguments from both sides for about 45 minutes, the judge ordered Abdul Latif Siddiqui and others to be sent to prison, then left the courtroom. At that point, it was seen that helmets were placed on the heads of Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Hafizur Rahman, and Manjurul Alam, who were standing in the dock. Handcuffs were placed on one of their hands. They were then brought downstairs.
As they were being led past the court towards the lockup, Professor Hafizur Rahman, standing behind Abdul Latif Siddiqui, raised a copy of the Constitution of Bangladesh. Hafizur Rahman declared: “We will protect this Constitution of the Liberation War. This is the Constitution born of the sacrifice of 3 million martyrs and the dignity of 500,000 mothers and sisters. We will protect this Constitution… We will protect Bangladesh. We will protect the Liberation War.”
Before he could finish, journalist Manjurul Alam raised the handcuffs on his left hand and said: “You put handcuffs on us, and then won’t even let us show them—what kind of logic is that?”
Later, Latif Siddiqui and the others were taken into the lockup. Around 11:30 am, they were transported to Keraniganj Central Jail in a prison van.
What happened
Yesterday, Thursday morning, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, and others went to attend a roundtable discussion at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU). The event, titled “Our Great Liberation War and the Constitution of Bangladesh,” was organised by a platform called Mancha 71.
At the discussion, the first to speak was Sheikh Hafizur Rahman. He said: "We are seeing attempts being made to throw away the country’s Constitution. Behind this are Jamaat-Shibir and the National Citizens’ Party (NCP). Under Professor Yunus’ leadership, they are putting garlands of shoes around freedom fighters’ necks.”
