Staff Correspondent:

A Dhaka court on Friday sent 16 people, including former minister Abdul Latif Siddique and Dhaka University Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, to jail in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque passed the order after the investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Tawfiq Hasan of Shahbagh Police Station, produced the accused before the court and requested that they be kept in custody pending completion of the investigation.

The other accused are: Md Abdullah Al Amin, Manjurul Alam, Qazi ATM Anisur Rahman Bulbul, Golam Mostafa, Md Mohiul Islam Babu, Md Zakir Hossain, Md Tousiful Bari Khan, Md Amir Hossain Sumon, Md Al Amin, Md Nazmul Ahsan, Syed Shahed Hasan, Md Shafikul Islam Delwar, Dewan Mohammad Ali, and Abdullahil Qaium.

On Thursday, police detained the 16 while they were in a meeting organised by Mancha 71, a platform that identifies itself as representing Freedom Fighters, at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU).

According to reports, a group of individuals surrounded the venue and began chanting slogans, accusing the attendees of being loyalists of the ‘fascist Awami League.’

Later, police filed a case at Shahbagh Police Station and showed them arrested in connection with it.