Dhaka: PEN Bangladesh has condemned the arrest of sixteen freedom fighters, journalists, and academicians, calling it a deeply troubling sign of growing intimidation and a serious erosion of democratic freedoms. The detainees, who include veteran freedom fighter and expelled Awami League minister Latif Siddique, Dhaka University professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Curzon, and journalist Monjurul Alam Panna, were attending a discussion on the 1971 Liberation War and the Constitution when they were violently attacked by a mob and later arrested by police under the draconian Anti-Terrorism Act for allegedly plotting to destabilise the country. The discussion was organised by Moncho-71, a platform committed to preserving the spirit of the Liberation War.
In a statement issued on Monday, PEN Bangladesh demanded the immediate release of the detainees unless credible evidence of criminal activity is presented in court. The organisation warned that weaponising anti-terror laws against political figures, academics, and journalists threatens democratic rights and deepens societal divisions. “Such measures represent a gross misuse of the law and undermine citizens’ constitutional rights to free speech and peaceful assembly,” the statement read, stressing that freedom of expression and the right to gather must not be criminalised.
The Canada-based Global Centre for Democratic Governance (GCDG) also expressed strong concern, revealing that the detainees were held for more than twelve hours without charge before politically motivated cases were filed against them. They were denied bail and immediately incarcerated. According to the GCDG, this sequence of events — arbitrary detention, politically driven charges, and refusal of bail — directly violates Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to liberty and protection against unlawful arrest. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has repeatedly warned that any deprivation of liberty without legal justification or due process constitutes arbitrary detention.
The GCDG further raised alarm over credible reports of cruel and degrading treatment in police custody, particularly of Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, who was allegedly denied medical care and subjected to physical abuse. Such actions clearly violate Article 7 of the ICCPR, which prohibits torture and degrading treatment, and also breach Bangladesh’s own Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act of 2013, which criminalises such abuse.
Prominent freedom fighter and senior Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna, one of the founders of Moncho-71, strongly condemned the attack and blamed the Yunus regime for orchestrating the crackdown. In a Facebook Live broadcast, Panna declared that there could be no compromise on the principles of the 1971 independence, the 1972 Constitution, the national flag, and the national anthem. “Freedom fighters must unite,” he urged passionately. “Now is our last chance to stand together.”
Earlier in the day, at least eighteen attendees, including Dhaka University teachers and journalists, were injured when members of Jamaat-Shibir and the National Citizen Party (NCP) launched a violent attack on the discussion at the DRU auditorium. Moments before the assault, Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman had warned of attempts to dismantle the country’s Constitution, blaming Jamaat-Shibir and the NCP for orchestrating the effort. Shortly after his remarks, a group calling themselves the “July Warriors” stormed into the auditorium in a procession, chanting slogans such as “Let the spirit of July rise again,” “Catch the League, fill the jails,” and “July fighters, unite and fight.” The attackers vandalised banners, assaulted several guests, and forcibly handed sixteen participants over to the police.
The Crack Platoon-Bangladesh Cyberforce Team has since identified the mastermind of the attack as Shahin Ahmed Khan, the Paltan Unit Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami. Investigators have obtained extensive financial and communication records, including recent bKash transactions linked to the incident, as well as personal details of several participants involved in orchestrating the attack. Among those identified are Sakibul Hasan Chowdhury of Kulaura in Moulvibazar, Imam Uddin Baba of Feni, Fahad Sarkar of Cumilla, and Md. Aminul Islam, also from Cumilla. Authorities are yet to confirm whether formal charges will be filed against the perpetrators.
This unfolding crisis underscores the escalating political tensions in Bangladesh, where the misuse of anti-terror legislation, mob violence, and attacks on free speech risk undermining constitutional safeguards and destabilising democratic institutions.
Mass arrest of pro-71 activists a troubling sign of intimidation, says PEN Bangladesh
The PEN Bangladesh has urged the authorities to release the 16 freedom fighters, journalists and academicians who were assaulted by a mob for attending a discussion on the 1971 Liberation War and the Constitution and later arrested by the police under the draconian Anti-Terrorism Act for “plotting to destabilise the country.”
The arrestees include freedom fighter and expelled Awami League minister Latif Siddique, Dhaka University professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Curzon, and journalist Monjurul Alam Panna. The discussion was arranged by Moncho-71, a platform advocating for preserving the spirit of the Liberation War.
They must be released immediately unless credible evidence of criminal activity is presented in court, the organisation said in a statement on Monday, adding that it is a troubling sign of a growing culture of intimidation.
“Such measures represent a serious misuse of the law and undermine citizens’ democratic rights to free speech and peaceful assembly. As a body dedicated to defending freedom of expression, PEN Bangladesh emphasises that the constitutional rights to speak and gather must not be criminalised,” the statement said.
It warned that applying anti-terror legislation against political figures, academics, and journalists risks deepening societal divisions and eroding public trust in the rule of law.
Earlier, the Canada-based Global Centre for Democratic Governance (GCDG) said that the individuals were detained without charge and held for more than 12 hours before politically motivated cases were filed against them, followed by denial of bail and immediate incarceration.
This sequence of events, detention without due process, politically driven charges, and lack of bail constitutes a direct violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to liberty and protection against arbitrary arrest.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has repeatedly emphasised that detention becomes arbitrary when individuals are deprived of liberty without legal justification or due process.
The GCDG is particularly alarmed by credible reports of the cruel and degrading treatment of Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman in police custody, including denial of medical care and physical abuse.
These actions clearly violate Article 7 of the ICCPR, which prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Bangladesh is also in breach of its own Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act of 2013, which criminalises such abuse.
ZI Khan Panna, freedom fighter, senior Supreme Court lawyer and one of the founders of the Moncho-71 platform, condemned the attack and blamed the Yunus regime. He also asked everyone to unite against the anti-liberation forces.
“We are not willing to compromise with the 1971 independence, the 1972 constitution, the national flag, and the national anthem. Freedom fighters unite, now is the last time to unite,” the valiant freedom fighter said in a Facebook live, calling on the freedom fighters to unite on the issues of the Liberation War, the 1972 Constitution, the national anthem and the national flag.
Earlier in the morning, at least 18 guests, including Dhaka University teachers and journalists, were injured in a mob attack by Jamaat-NCP members. Later, they handed 16 people over to the police.
Dhaka University Law Department’s Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman spoke first. He said: “We are seeing attempts to throw away the country’s constitution. Behind this are Jamaat-Shibir and the National Citizen Party (NCP).”
Right after his speech, a group of people entered the DRU auditorium in a procession, chanting slogans such as “Let the spirit of July rise again”, “Catch the League, fill the jails”, and “July fighters, unite and fight.”
The agitators called themselves the July Warriors and chanted slogans against Siddique during his captivity. They also tore the banner of the discussion and assaulted other guests and attendees.
Attackers identified
The Crack Platoon-Bangladesh Cyberforce Team has identified the mastermind of the attack as Jamaat-e-Islam’s Paltan Unit Ameer Shahin Ahmed Khan. It has also collected all kinds of financial and communication information, including family information, data obtained from digital devices and recent bKash transactions of some of the participants in this incident!
Under the leadership of Shahin Ahmed, others who participated in the attack were Sakibul Hasan Chowdhury (father Abdul Shahid Chowdhury, mother Sitara Begum) of Kulaura, Moulvibazar; Imam Uddin Baba (father Jamal Uddin) of Feni; Fahad Sarkar (father Md. Amdadul Sarkar) of Cumilla; and Md. Aminul Islam (father Azadul Islam, mother Husne Ara Begum) of Cumilla.
