According to police in Bangladesh, a court has ordered the detention of 16 individuals, including an 87-year-old former minister, on charges of plotting against the government. The South Asian nation has been in turmoil since a mass uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian government in 2024, with political parties competing for power ahead of elections scheduled for February.
The 16 individuals were arrested on Thursday after a meeting at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), a journalists’ association, where they accused political parties of conspiring to undermine the constitution. Witnesses stated that a mob stormed the venue, harassed the participants, and then handed them over to the police.
“They were arrested under the anti-terrorism act,” said Khalid Mansur, the officer-in-charge of Dhaka’s central police station. Among those held was Abdul Latif Siddiqui, a former minister under Hasina.
Police informed the court that the accused were “hatching conspiracies and inciting unrest to destabilize the country and topple the government.” Hafizur Rahman Karzon, a law professor at the University of Dhaka, was also among those detained.
In court on Friday, where the group was brought in handcuffs, helmets, and bulletproof vests, Karzon said that they were victims, not offenders. Another of the detained, journalist Manjurul Alam, raised his arms and said: “These hands have written against corruption for years.”
