Shapla Chattar case: Latif Siddique says will surrender by Monday if police don't arrest him before then

Former minister Abdul Latif Siddique has said he will surrender before the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) next Sunday or Monday in response to an arrest warrant against him in a case over killings and crimes against humanity linked to the 2013 Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, provided he is not arrested beforehand.

He made the remarks today (29 July) after appearing before a Dhaka court in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Shahbagh Police Station.

The investigation report of the case was scheduled for submission today. Latif Siddique and the other accused appeared before the court, but Shahbagh Police failed to submit the report.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana set 7 September as the next date for submission of the report, his lawyer Golam Rabbani confirmed.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Latif Siddique said he had appeared in court in the Anti-Terrorism Act case in which he was arrested in 2025.

He said he was informed this morning that an arrest warrant had been issued against him in the ICT case over the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar.

He also said he came to court because he did not want anyone to think he had gone into hiding.

"If the police do not arrest me, I will surrender before the court next Sunday or Monday. If the police arrest me before then, that is a different matter," he said.

Latif Siddique added that, unlike before, he was fully prepared and had a bag containing a notebook and pen in his car.