The Appellate Division on Monday upheld the High Court order that had granted bail to former minister Abdul Latif Siddique and journalist Manjurul Alam in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
An Appellate Division bench led by Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury passed the order after rejecting the petition filed by the state.
Barrister Sara Hossain stood for Latif while Additional Attorney General Anik R Haque represented the state.
Earlier on November 6, the High Court granted bail to Latif Siddique and Manjurul Alam in the case.
Police detained the former minister and several others after tensions broke out during an event organised by ‘Manch 71’, a platform of freedom fighters, in the capital on August 28.
A group of youths identifying themselves as ‘July Fighters’ handed them over to police around noon, alleging that they had attempted to create chaos at the event held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
Ex-minister Abdul Latif Siddique gets HC bail
‘Manch 71’organised a roundtable titled “Our Great Liberation War and the Constitution of Bangladesh” which was attended by freedom fighters, lawyers, writers, journalists, teachers, and former bureaucrats.
Later, Sub-Inspector Amirul Islam of Shahbagh Police Station filed a case against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
On August 29, a Dhaka court sent Latif Siddique, Dhaka University Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, and 14 others to jail in connection with the case.