Comilla: A court yesterday asked sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique to appear before it by August 25 in a case filed for his disparaging remarks on hajj and Tablig Jamaat, reports UNB. Acting judge of Comilla Senior Judicial Magistrate (Cognisance court-7) Mun­tasir Ahmed passed the order. On September 28 last year, at a views-exchange meeting with expatriates in New York, Latif Siddique made disparaging remarks about hajj, one of the main pillars of Islam, and Tablig Jamaat.
Latif Siddique had said: “During hajj, too much of manpower is wasted. Over 20 lakh people have gone to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj. They’ve no work, no production and they only cause deduction.” “Some 20 lakh Tablig Jamaat people get together annually who don’t do any work except halting traffic movement across the country,” he added.
His remarks triggered widespread criticisms both at home and abroad.
Latif Siddique was dropped from the cabinet and expelled from Awami League for his derogatory comments.
A number of courts across the country, including in Dhaka, Chittagong, Narail and Comilla, issued warrants for the arrest of Latif Siddique in separate cases filed for hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims with his derogatory comments. Latif Siddique was sent to jail by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Atiqur Rahman when police produced him before the court following his surrender at the Dhanmondi Police Station on November 25 last.
On May 26 this year, the High Court granted bail to Abdul Latif Siddique in seven cases filed in Dhaka and Narayanganj for his disparaging remarks.