The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld the bail granted to former textiles and jute minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Shahbagh police station in Dhaka.
Lawyers said the order removes any legal bar to the former minister’s release.
A bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury passed the order on Monday.
Barrister Sara Hossain appeared for Latif Siddiqui, while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman and Additional Attorney General Anik R Haque represented the state.
Earlier, on November 6, a High Court bench comprising Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Sagir Hossain granted bail to the former minister after hearing his petition.
Following the order, the state later filed an appeal with the Appellate Division challenging the bail.
On August 29, a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court ordered the jailing of 16 individuals — including Abdul Latif Siddiqui and Dhaka University Professor Curzon — in connection with the case. The order was issued by Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque, following a petition by Sub-Inspector Md Amirul Islam of Shahbagh police station, who filed the case.
The accused include Md Abdullah Al Amin, 73, Manjurul Alam, 49, Kazi ATM Anisur Rahman Bulbul, 72, Golam Mostafa, 81, Md Mohiul Islam alias Babu, 64, Md Zakir Hossain, 74, Md Tousiful 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 Qayyum, 61.
According to the case statement, a roundtable meeting was held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium on August 28 under the banner of “Manch 71”.
During the meeting, Latif Siddiqui allegedly delivered a “conspiratorial speech” aimed at destabilizing the country through armed struggle and overthrowing the interim government.
Police arrested 16 of the 70–80 attendees after the event.
Investigators later claimed that while Manch 71 was launched on August 5 with the stated goal of mobilizing people to “counter distortions of Liberation War history,” its activities allegedly included plotting to overthrow the government.
