Veteran journalist and former president of the National Press Club, Shawkat Mahmud, has been formally shown as arrested in another case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. This development centres around a roundtable meeting organised by the group “Moncho 71”, which has previously come under scrutiny for allegedly engaging in subversive activities. Alongside Shawkat Mahmud, sixteen individuals—including former minister and expelled Awami League member Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Dhaka University Law Department professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman (Karjon), and journalist Manzurul Alam—are named as accused in the case. Shawkat Mahmud is now recorded as an “investigation-linked” defendant.
On Monday, Metropolitan Magistrate Juel Rana of Dhaka ordered Shawkat Mahmud’s arrest in relation to the case filed at Shahbagh police station. The state’s lawyer, Shamsuddoha Sumon, confirmed the court order.
This is not the first instance of legal action against Shawkat Mahmud. On 20 September, Bangladeshi-American citizen Enayet Karim Chowdhury was arrested under the same Anti-Terrorism Act. Subsequently, on 7 December, Shawkat Mahmud, who also serves as General Secretary of the Jatiya Party Bangladesh, was apprehended in the Malibagh area of Dhaka in connection with this case.
According to court sources, Shawkat Mahmud was produced before the court on Monday, during which the investigating officer and police inspector Md. Akhtar Morshed applied to formally show him arrested in the Shahbagh police station case.
The arrest application details the alleged activities leading to the case. It claims that the organisation Moncho 71 was formed on 5 August last year, purportedly to counter distortions of Bangladesh’s Liberation War history. On 28 August, the group convened a roundtable at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) at 10:00 am. Investigators allege that participants, including the sixteen named defendants and an estimated 70–80 unidentified individuals, were involved in activities intended to destabilise the country and subvert the interim government, engaging in inciting speeches and conspiracies.
Further, interrogation by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Ramna Division, reportedly revealed that the accused were acting collectively under the banner of Moncho 71 to carry out anti-state operations. Preliminary investigation indicates that Shawkat Mahmud was involved in these activities, including holding propaganda meetings against the interim government with his affiliates. Authorities have asserted that, for the sake of proper investigation and justice, showing him arrested in this case is necessary.
Key details of the case are summarised below:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Case Type | Anti-Terrorism Act |
| Organisation Involved | Moncho 71 |
| Roundtable Date | 28 August |
| Primary Accused | 16 named + 70–80 unidentified participants |
| New Defendant | Shawkat Mahmud |
| Arrest Shown | Monday (court order) |
| Investigating Agency | Detective Branch (Ramna Division) |
Legal observers note that this case could have wider implications for the press, political discourse, and civil liberties in Bangladesh, as it touches on issues of national security, freedom of expression, and accountability of influential public figures.