The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested former minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui from the capital’s Gulshan area on Wednesday evening in connection with a case filed with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) over the Shapla Chattar massacre during a Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh rally in 2013.
A special DB team conducted a raid on Latif Siddiqui’s residence and arrested him around 6:00pm, said DB chief Mohammad Shafiqul Islam.
He said the former minister was arrested in connection with the ICT case linked to the Shapla Chattar incident
The DB chief, however, did not disclose further details about the allegations or the next legal steps.
Latif Siddiqui, a former minister of the Awami League government, will be produced before the competent court in connection with the ICT case, he said.
On July 27, the prosecution submitted formal charges against 41 people, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Latif Siddiqui, before the ICT in connection with the Shapla Chattar crackdown.
According to the prosecution, 58 people were killed at four locations, including Dhaka, during the Hefazat rally on May 5, 2013.
The investigation agency has identified 32 victims in Dhaka, 20 in Narayanganj, five in Chattogram and one in Cumilla.