Former minister Abdul Latif Siddique, who was arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act, withdrew his bail application during a hearing on Wednesday at the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka.
While Siddique withdrew his plea, six other accused — Golam Mostofa, Zakir Hossain, Md. Tausiful Bari Khan, Amir Hossain Sumon, Shafiqul Islam Delwar, and Abdullahil Qaiyum — had applied for bail, but the court rejected their requests.
Siddique’s lawyer, Tahmim Mahima Bandhan, told reporters that Siddique initially refused to sign the power of attorney but later signed it after reviewing the document submitted by his co-counsel, Z.I. Khan Panna.
He added, “We filed the bail application on Siddique’s behalf, highlighting that he is elderly and unwell. The family intended to submit medical reports to support the bail request, but the documents were not provided in time. For this reason, the application was withdrawn.”
The state prosecutor, Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon, said the 16 individuals, including Siddique, were arrested last Friday in connection with a case filed at Shahbagh Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act. “They were taken into custody for engaging in anti-state and terrorist activities, and for allegedly attempting to destabilize the country and overthrow the current interim government using the banner of ‘Moncho 71,’” he said.
According to the case documents, the organization “Moncho 71” was formed on August 5, allegedly aiming to distort and erase the history of Bangladesh’s Liberation War. As part of their preparation, the group organized a roundtable meeting on August 28 at 10 a.m. to plan further activities.
The prosecution claims that Siddique and others sought to exploit the organization to orchestrate armed unrest and political instability in the country.
