Dawn
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12:33 Aug 29, 2025
An 87-year-old former minister was among 16 people ordered by a Bangladesh court Friday to be detained in custody on charges of plotting against the government, police said. The South Asian nation has been in turmoil since a mass uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic government in 2024, with political parties vying for power ahead of elections scheduled for February. The 16 were arrested on Thursday after attending a meeting at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), a journalists’ association, where they accused political parties of conspiring to undermine the constitution. Witnesses said a mob stormed the venue, heckled the participants, and later handed them over to the police. “They were arrested under the anti-terrorism act,” said Khalid Mansur, officer-in-charge of Dhaka’s central police station. Among those held was Abdul Latif Siddiqui, a former minister under Hasina. Police told the court that the accused were “hatching conspiracies and inciting unrest to destabilise the country and topple the government”...