- Former minister between 16 held in the case of Bangladesh's plot.
- The suspects arrested under the anti -terrorism law, police say.
- Witnesses say the mafia assaulted the place and handed them over to the police.
Dhaka: A former 87 -year -old minister was among the 16 people ordered by a Bangladesh court on Friday to be held in custody for charges to conspire against the government, police said.
The nation of southern Asia has been in agitation since a massive lifting demolished the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina in 2024, with political parties that compete for power before the elections scheduled for February.
The 16 were arrested Thursday after attending a meeting in Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), an association of journalists, where they accused the political parties of conspiring to undermine the Constitution.
The witnesses said a mafia assaulted the place, told the participants and then handed them over to the police.
“They were arrested under the anti -terrorism law,” said Khalid Mansur, an officer in charge of the Dhaka Central Police Station.
Among those celebrated was Abdul Latif Siddiqui, a former Minister Bajo Hasina.
The police told the Court that the defendant was “plotting conspiracies and inciting the riots to destabilize the country and overthrow the government.”
Hafizur Rahman Karzon, professor of law at the University of Dhaka, was also among the detainees.
In the court on Friday, where the group was taken handcuffed, helmets and bulletproof vests, he said they were victims, not criminals.
Another of the detainees, journalist Manjurul Alam, raised his arms and said: “These hands have written against corruption for years.”
