Former posts, telecommunications and information technology minister Abdul Latif Siddique, who drew flak for his derogatory remarks on hajj and Tablighi Jamaat, was eventually expelled from the Awami League yesterday.
The Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) made the decision at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
After the meeting, the party’s General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters that Latif had been expelled from the party for hurting religious sentiments of the Muslims.
“As his [Latif] reply to the show-cause notice was not satisfactory, the party made the decision to expel him and cancel his primary membership in accordance with the party’s charter,” he said, adding that Latif would not be allowed to appeal against the decision.
Describing Latif as a former minister and former presidium member of the ruling party, Ashraful said he had attacked religion.
“He has hurt the hearts of the Muslims and his statement has embarrassed the countrymen,” he said.
Ashraful said the Election Commission would take the decision whether Latif would be able to retain the post of lawmaker or not.
Sources said many ALCWC members, including Matia Chowdhury, Mohammed Nasim and Sheikh Selim, attended the meeting. They termed Latif’s explanation intolerable and recommended his primary membership be cancelled.
The Awami League chief agreed to the recommendation, saying that there was no chance to consider clemency as Latif’s statement was against the party’s charter.
“His offence is unforgivable. I agree with all of you to expel him,” an organising secretary of the party told the Dhaka Tribune quoting the premier.
Several ALCWC members told the Dhaka Tribune Latif had defended himself in his explanation and did not regret the controversial statement he had made even for once.
Sources said Latif only requested the party not to cancel his primary membership on humanitarian grounds as he had been with the party for long.
While addressing a programme in the US on September 28, Latif made derogatory remarks on hajj, Tablighi Jamaat and Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of the prime minister.
The comments sparked widespread criticism in the country and abroad as well.
In the wake of the incident, the government fired Latif from the cabinet on October 12 and on the same day, Awami League removed him from its presidium body and temporarily cancelled his primary membership.
Latif got involved with Awami League politics by joining the Chhatra League. He was an elected vice-president of Korotia Sadat College student union in 1964-65. He was elected an Awami League lawmaker in 1970.
He was further elected MP in 1973, 1996, 2008 and 2014, and served as a minister from 2009 till his expulsion.
Latif was elected the party’s presidium member, the highest policy-making body, in 2009. He was a central committee member of the party and held a number of posts in the Tangail district unit committee at different times.
Latif has been in India for around two weeks after returning from the US.