Bangladeshi Court Jails Veterans Under Anti-Terrorism Act

Dhaka, Aug 29 (PTI) A Bangladeshi court has sent 16 individuals, among them several veterans of the 1971 Liberation War, to jail under the stringent Anti-Terrorism Act.

This action comes a day after a mob allegedly disrupted their planned public discussion in the capital.

Magistrate Farzana Haque ordered their detention nearly 24 hours after their initial arrest.

Police had initially detained them for their protection against "public unrest" on Thursday.

Less than a day later, Dhaka police announced that the detainees were being charged under the 2009 Anti-Terrorism Act, without further explanation.

Court documents reveal that at least six of the arrested individuals are in their 70s.

The police's court application stated that it is "absolutely necessary" to keep the accused in custody until their investigation is completed and their identities and addresses are verified.

Media reports mention that former minister and 1971 war veteran Abdul Latif Siddiqui, law professor Hafizur Rahman Curzon from Dhaka University, and journalist Manjurul Alam Panna were among those jailed.

Abu Alam Shahid, a freedom fighter and retired government secretary who attended Thursday’s meeting, affirmed that several of those arrested were 1971 veterans.

"Most of the senior persons arrested were veterans of 1971 as the meeting was a freedom fighters' discussion," he noted.

The newly-formed 'Moncho 71', a veterans' platform, organized the discussion at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) auditorium.

The group that disrupted the event accused the attendees of being "accomplices of the fascist regime" of the deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Shahid clarified there were no "Awami League leaders" at the event.

Former minister Siddique was expelled from Hasina's cabinet and party in 2014 for breaching discipline.

The uprising led by the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) ousted Hasina's regime on August 5, 2024, following her departure to India.

Subsequently, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed the role of Chief Advisor of the interim government three days later.

The Moncho 71 platform, established earlier this month, aims to uphold the 1971 Liberation War ideals and the legacy of Bangladesh's founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, alongside the 1972 Constitution, national flag, and anthem.

The mob, identified as the 'July warriors', tore down the event's banner and allegedly assaulted several participants.

"Freedom fighters from all political backgrounds were invited, but chaos ensued when more than 25 men disrupted the event," said Golam Mostafa, a 1971 veteran.

ZI Khan Panna, a key organizer of Moncho 71 who did not attend due to health issues, called the mob "miscreants" in a video message.

He criticized the assault as a reflection of the current state of freedom of expression under the interim government.

The DRU later issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to free expression, stating, "Everyone has freedom of expression here. Threats or obstructions from any party are not acceptable."

The veterans' incarceration follows comments by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary-general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who alleged efforts to erase the 1971 Liberation War from public memory.

"Many efforts are going on to make people forget 1971... those who assisted enemies then are now being vocal," said Alamgir, referring to the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which opposed Bangladesh’s independence.

"We fought in the 1971 independence war. We have not forgotten 1971. It is not possible to forget," he added.

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)