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Published : 03 Sep 2025, 06:27 PM
Former minister Abdul Latif Siddique has withdrawn his bail petition in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
During Wednesday’s hearing at the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sefat Ullah’s court, Latif’s bail petition was withdrawn.
His lawyer, Tahmim Mahima Badhan, said: “At first Latif Siddique did not want to sign the power of attorney, but after seeing ZI Khan Panna’s power of attorney, he signed it.”
“Today we filed a bail petition on his behalf. He is elderly and ill. His family was supposed to submit medical reports to support the plea, but they failed to provide the documents in time. That’s why we withdrew the petition.”
Prosecutor Shamsuddoha Suman said, “When Latif was produced before the court last Friday, he said he had no confidence in the court. Today he applied for bail through his lawyers. The defence realised the state would strongly oppose the plea, so they chose to withdraw it.”
The case stems from an incident on Thursday, when Latif and other veterans of the 1971 Liberation War came under attack during a roundtable discussion at the Dhaka Reporters Unity.
A group of men, identifying themselves as “July Warriors”, stormed the discussion while chanting slogans.
Police later intervened and removed Latif and other attendees from the hall.
Officers initially claimed they had been taken away for “security reasons”, claiming the move was necessary to protect them from the mob attack. But by nightfall, the reasoning changed. Instead, authorities said they had been placed under arrest under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
