The High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to freedom fighter and former Awami League minister Abdul Latif Siddique, and former Ekushey Television journalist Monjurul Alam Panna in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act for holding a meeting with 鈥榗ritics鈥� of the present government in the capital.
The bench of Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Sagir Hossain passed the orders after hearing their separate bail petitions.
Assistant attorney general Ibrahim Khalil, who opposed the bail pleas, told reporters that the government would move a petition before the Appellate Division on Sunday seeking a stay on the High Court orders.
Latif Siddique and Panna were among 16 people from different professions arrested on August 29 during a meeting of the critics of the government. The event was organised by Mancha 71 at the Dhaka Reporters鈥� Unity.
Earlier, a lower court had rejected their bail petitions, saying that their detention period was short and the allegations against them were serious.
Senior lawyer ZI Khan Panna, representing Latif Siddique, argued that the former minister was jailed for merely exercising his constitutional right to freedom of speech.
Human rights lawyer Sara Hossain, appearing for Panna, said that there was no specific allegation of conspiracy against the journalist, who has been in custody for 71 days.
