Writ seeks Latif’s arrest in 24hrs
Writ seeks Latif’s arrest in 24hrs
A Supreme Court lawyer today filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its directives upon the government to arrest sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique in 24 hours on charges of hurting religious sentiments of people.
Eunus Ali Akond submitted the petition as public interest litigation to the High Court today, a day after the former posts and telecommunication minister returned Bangladesh from India with several arrest warrants on him.
In the petition, Akond stated that Latif Siddique, who hurt the religious sentiment of people by making derogatory comment about hajj and Tabligh Jamaat, is now in the country. But the government is yet to take any step to arrest him, the lawyer said.
Akond also sought the HC’s direction upon the government for filing a case against Latif Siddique under Information and Communication Technology Act.
An HC bench may hear the petition later in the day.
Latif Siddique, who has been under fire for his anti-hajj comments in September, arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Air India flight AI 230 around 8:20pm last night.
He stayed at the VIP terminal for a while and talked to some airport and government agency officials, according to airport sources.
He left the airport through the domestic terminal around 9:00pm, boarded his personal vehicle waiting outside and headed towards Uttara, the sources said.
None could say where he went.
Latif was removed from Sheikh Hasina's cabinet and from the Awami League's presidium, the highest policy-making forum of the party, on October 12 following his derogatory comments on hajj and Tablighi Jamaat at a programme in New York on September 28. His remarks triggered a whirlwind of criticisms at home and abroad.
On October 24, his primary membership in the AL was cancelled too, marking an end to Latif's five-decade-long association with the party.
A total of 22 cases were filed against him in 18 districts for offending the religious sentiments of the Muslims. Several arrest warrants have been issued in those cases.
From the USA, Latif went to India October 12 and had been staying in Kolkata since then.