Dhaka, August 29: A Bangladeshi court on Friday ordered the imprisonment of 16 people, including several 1971 Liberation War veterans and a university professor, under the country’s strict Anti-Terrorism Act.
Magistrate Farzana Haque passed the order after the group was produced before the court nearly 24 hours after their detention in Dhaka. Police had initially taken them into custody on Thursday, claiming the move was to protect them from “public unrest” after a mob allegedly disrupted their planned public discussion in the capital.
The detention and subsequent charges have triggered sharp debate, given the involvement of respected veterans of Bangladesh’s independence war. Rights groups and activists are expected to closely monitor the case, which touches on sensitive questions about freedom of expression and the application of counter-terrorism laws.