The High Court has granted interim bail to journalist Monjurul Alam in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
His lawyers said there is now no legal bar to his release from prison.
A High Court bench of Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Sagir Hossain passed the order on Thursday after hearing his bail petition.
Senior lawyers Sara Hossain, Ramzan Ali Sikder, and Priya Ahsan Chowdhury appeared for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Sultana Akhter Ruby, Assistant Attorney General Ibrahim Khalil, and Al Amin Hossain represented the state.
The court also granted bail to former textiles and jute minister Abdul Latif Siddique in the same case following a separate bail application.
Assistant Attorney General Ibrahim Khalil later said the state would appeal the bail order in the Appellate Division.
Earlier on August 29, a Dhaka court ordered the jailing of 16 people, including Abdul Latif Siddique and Dhaka University Professor Curzon, in the case filed with Shahbagh police station under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
According to the case statement, the accused allegedly took part in a roundtable discussion held on August 28 at Dhaka Reporters Unity under the banner of “Manch 71.” Police claimed that during the event, Latif Siddiqui delivered a speech inciting conspiracy and armed struggle to destabilize the country and overthrow the interim government.
Sixteen participants were arrested out of 70–80 attendees, police said.
