TDS Desk:

‎A Dhaka court on Thursday denied the bail petition of former minister and four-time lawmaker Abdul Latif Siddique and journalist Manjurul Alam Panna in a case filed on charges of pushing the country towards armed struggle and plotting against the government.

‎Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasib Ullah Piyash passed the order after a hearing, State Prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon confirmed the information.

‎Earlier on 29 August, 16 including these two were sent to jail in the same case.

Other who were sent to jail are – Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Karzon, 55; Md Abdullah Al Amin, 73; Kazi ATM Anisur Rahman Bulbul, 72; Golam Mostafa, 81; Md Mahiul Islam alias Babu, 64; Md Zakir Hossain, 74; Md Tausiful Bari Khan, 72; Md Amir Hossain Sumon, 37; Md Al Amin, 40; Md Nazmul Ahsan, 35; Syed Shahed Hasan, 36; Md Shafiqul Islam Delwar, 64; Dewan Mohammad Ali, 50; and Md Abdullahil Qaiyum, 61.

‎The accused were shown arrested in the case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act on 28 August night, hours after they were detained from a programme in Dhaka.

Shahbagh Police Station Sub-inspector Amirul Islam filed the case.

‎On 28 August morning, the accused attended a discussion titled “Our Great Liberation War and the Constitution of Bangladesh”, organised by a platform called Mancha 71 at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium.

‎The programme, scheduled for 10am, began an hour late. Soon after Prof Sheikh Hafizur’s speech, a group of people identifying themselves as “July Fighters” stormed the venue and confined the organisers and guests after accusing them of attempting to create chaos.

‎They chanted various slogans and tore the banner, and later handed over 16 attendees, including Latif Siddique and Prof Hafizur, to the police, who escorted them to the Detective Branch office.