President Abdul Hamid yesterday terminated Posts and Telecommunications Minister Abdul Latif Siddique on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s advice for his derogatory comments on Hajj and Tabligh Jamaat.
Later in the evening of yesterday Latif was removed from Awami League presidium membership. His party primary membership was also suspended for his anti-Islamic comments and violating party charter.
The cabinet division issued a gazette notification on Latif’s removal from the cabinet. However, the reason for his removal was not mentioned in the gazette.
As per (c) of clause 1 of section 58 of the constitution, the appointment of Latif Siddique as minister was cancelled.
According to clause 2 of 58 of the constitution, the prime minister advised the president to terminate the appointment of Latif Siddique.
Briefing journalists, Cabinet Secretary M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan yesterday said: “President Md Abdul Hamid has terminated Latif as a minister following the advice of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina”.
Asked whether the reason for termination is mentioned, the cabinet secretary said the reason is not mentioned in the gazette, and it is not necessary. In this regard, nothing is said in the constitution.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Sunday afternoon.
Until someone was appointed, the prime minister herself would be in charge of the ministry.
On September 28, during a programme in the USA, Latif Siddique made derogatory comments on Hajj, Ijtema and PM’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
At the programme organised by the Tangail Samity at a hotel in New York, Siddique said he was against hajj and Tabligh Jamaat more than he was against the Jamaat-e-Islami.
He also said: “Hajj is a waste of manpower. Those who perform hajj do not have any productivity. They deduct from the economy and spend a lot of money abroad”.
“If 1,00,000 people perform hajj every year on an average and spend Tk5 lakh each then the total cost stands at Tk500 crore,” he added.
About the history of hajj, Latif said Prophet Muhammad was worried about the people of Arab as they were robbers. The prophet then made an arrangement that his followers meet at a place every year, which will generate income.
Castigating Tabligh Jamaat, he said: “Tabligh Jamaat brings together about 20 lakh people every year. It has no specific duties. It just clogs traffic across the country.”
Latif also criticised Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, saying: “Why do you often mention of Joy? Who is Joy Bhai? Joy is nobody in the government. He cannot make any decision.”
After a video clip of the speech emerged on social media, several senior Awami League leaders came down hard on Latif for his “irresponsible” remarks.
Different Islamist parties brought out protest processions in the capital as well as elsewhere in the country, demanding capital punishment to minister Abdul Latif Siddique for his recent comments on hajj, Prophet Muhammad (SM) and Tablighi Jamaat.
Under the banner of Sammilita Islami Dalsamuho, several Islamist parties including Hefazat-e-Islam, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Bangladesh Tarikat Federation brought out processions in the capital and staged demonstrations.
The government had to deploy police and RAB members to avoid any untoward incidents.
Yesterday while addressing party central working committee meeting at Ganabhaban, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned Latif Siddique as former minister and her party presidium member.
Referring to Latif Siddique’s controversial comments on hajj and Tabligh Jamaat, the premier said such kind of statement was not acceptable.
Hasina, also the Awami League president, said they had dropped Latif Siddique from the cabinet in light of the constitutional guidelines.
“Today (yesterday) I along with the cabinet secretary met President Abdull Hamid and finalised all procedures to remove him,” she said.
“It (his termination) was done, in line with the constitutional guidelines set for removal of a minister,” she added.
Syed Ashraful Islam, general secretary of Awami League, briefed reporters after the central working committee meeting.
He said the party had taken the decision to suspend Latif’s primary membership and issue him a show-cause notice asking for his explanation as to why his primary membership should not be cancelled.
“We will issue the show-cause notice to his permanent address asking for his explanation within seven days and then the party will take further action,” he said.
The meeting was held at Ganabhaban with party Chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Meanwhile, Latif flew to Kolkata via New Delhji from London on Sunday evening, our Kolkata correspondent reported quoting a source in the state administration.
The source also said Latif, now on a private tour, was staying in a five-star hotel in Kolkata from where he would fly to Dhaka.
He did not answer to a volley of questions thrown by journalists as he was checking in the hotel.
He said he was too tired to speak. “Let me take a rest. Whatever I say I will say that after I go to Dhaka. Everything will depend upon the decision of the prime minister.”
As he was asked about the time of his return to Dhaka he declined to talk about it.