Anti Hajj remark: Latif Siddique denied bail
A Dhaka court today rejected a bail petition of sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique in a case filed against him for hurting religious sentiment of Muslims.
Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim passed the order this afternoon after Latif’s counsel Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua submitted the bail petition before the court.
The case, one of the eight cases filed in Dhaka, was lodged by Lion Abu Bakar Siddique against the former post and telecommunications minister on October 2.
Latif was sent to jail after he surrendered before a court on November 25 in another case filed by Advocate Abed Raza for his anti-hajj remarks.
The ex-minister faces 22 cases in 18 districts including Dhaka following his comments against hajj and Tabligh Jamaat at a programme in New York on September 28.
Earlier, he was denied bail in two cases filed against him over the same allegations.
Latif was sacked from the cabinet on October 12. Later, he was expelled from the Awami League presidium, and also lost primary membership of the ruling party.
WHAT LATIF ACTUALLY SAID
At the September 28 programme in the USA, Latif said, “During Hajj, so much manpower is wasted. More than 20 lakh people have gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. They have no work, no production and are offering only deduction.”
He added some 20 lakh Tablighi Jamaat people get together annually. They do not do any work, except for halting traffic movement in the whole country.
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