Police detained former minister Abdul Latif Siddique and several others after chaos during an event organised by a newly formed freedom fighters’ platform, Mancha 71.
The incident took place at about 12:00pm on Thursday at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital’s Segun Bagicha.
After detention, Latif Siddique and others were taken by police vans to the office of Detective Branch of police on Mintoo road for interrogation.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s DB joint commissioner for south Mohammad Nasirul Islam at about 8:30pm said that they were interrogating Latif Siddique and several others at their custody.
Earlier on the day, Manch 71 had arranged a roundtable discussion titled ‘Our Great Liberation War and the Constitution of Bangladesh’ at the DRU’s Shafiqul Kabir auditorium, which former Gono Forum president Kamal Hossain was scheduled to attend as chief guest.
Witnesses said that the chaos erupted after a group of 20-25 people introducing themselves members of a platform named ‘July Joddha’ entered the venue and besieged the participants, including Latif Siddique, and they also allegedly insulted the participants terming them aides of ousted Awami League government.
Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, a professor of the law department at Dhaka University, spoke first at the discussion.
In his speech, he said, ‘We can see that attempts are being made to overthrow the country’s constitution. Jamaat-Shibir and Jatiya Nagorik Party are behind this.’
‘Under the leadership of Professor Yunus, they are putting garlands of shoes around freedom fighters’ neck,’ he said.
Soon after Hafizur finished his speech, a group of people entered the DRU auditorium with a procession. At one stage, they tore the banners of the discussion and besieged the people participating in the discussion.
When a team of police arrived at about 12:15pm, they handed over at least 15 people, including Latif Siddiqui and Sheikh Hafizur Rahman to police.
At that time, Latif Siddiqui who was the textiles and jute minister in the AL government from 2009 to 2013, said, ‘I did not know that there would be a problem here. I have no connection with the Awami League. I came to this event after receiving an invitation.’
Freedom fighter Golam Mostafa, who attended the programme, said, ‘Freedom fighters of all political backgrounds were invited to the event. We started the programme on time. Then, 20 to 25 young men came to the spot and created a chaos.’
Asked about the reason for besieging the participants of the discussion, a man named Al Amin Russell said, ‘We are July fighters. Leaders and activists of the fallen AL, Jubo League and the banned Chhatra League are gathering here and conspiring.’
‘We will not accept anything like this as long as the July fighters are alive,’ he added.
Manch 71, formed earlier this month, was launched saying that they would prevent distortions of the Liberation War’s history and uphold the honour of freedom fighters.
The platform is coordinated by professor Abdullah Al Mahmud and senior Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna.