Former minister and Awami League leader Abdul Latif Siddique all on a sudden returned to country last night amid warrants for his arrest in a dozen of cases filed for hurting religious sentiment.
Latif arrived at the Shajalal International Airport from Kolkata by an Air India flight at 8:30pm a month after he had been expelled from the ruling Awami League.
Upon his arrival at the airport’s VIP lounge he was kept under surveillance of immigration police.
Later, the police let him go around 9:30pm.
Soon after the news of Latif’s arrival spread, radical Islamist organisation Hefazat-e-Islam threatened to lay a siege to the capital and enforce non-stop hartal if Latif was not arrested immediately.
Immigration police officials said Latif had arrived at the immigration area and completed the procedure without any hassle.
An official said when Latif left Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport officials of Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka received the information.
Sources said the law enforcers had escorted Latif to the domestic terminal after the immigration procedure and then he had left the airport in his car.
A number of witnesses said after his arrival in the airport Latif stayed around an hour in the VIP lounge and then left with the help of the members of the law enforcement agencies.
Although Latif faces at least 22 cases and warrants for his arrest in these cases, he left the airport safely with the help of police officials.
Seeking anonymity, a police official told the Dhaka Tribune that Latif was under surveillance and would be arrested in time.
A good number of law enforcers were in the airport, but no one except a female passenger of the Air India flight talked to him.
The woman, whose name could not be confirmed, told journalists that she had asked Latif if he would not face problem after returning to Bangladesh. Latif replied: “What problems? Why should I be scared?”
Meanwhile, in a press release issued last night, Junaid Babunagri, secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam, threatened with seige programmes and non-stop hartals if Latif was not arrested and given exemplary punishment.
Earlier, issuing a note of warning to the government, Ahle Sunnat’wal Jamaat asked the government to arrest Latif within 24 hours, otherwise tough programmes would be announced.
Many Awami League leaders have expressed surprise at the news of Latif’s return.
Awami League Presidium member Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin said: “He is audacious. He is facing several cases and a warrant was also issued for his arrest. Let us just see what police are going to do.
“Undoubtedly, he came to Dhaka with a bad intention. We do not know the source of his guts and who really instigated him to return to Dhaka. His arrival will certainly spur the religious zealots into taking to the streets and he might face public wrath. I am quite surprised.”
Organising Secretary of Awami League Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said: “He has come back and now the law will take its own course. We have nothing to say about him as he is none of our party.”
On October 12, President Abdul Hamid terminated Latif’s Posts and Telecommunications Ministry port folio on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s advice for his derogatory comments on hajj and Tabligh Jamaat.
The same day, Latif was also removed from the Awami League Presidium. His primary party 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, but it did not mention the reason for the removal.
On October 14, the party issued a show-cause notice, which Latif replied on time. On October 24, Latif was expelled from the Awami League. The Awami League Central Working Committee made the decision at a meeting chaired by Sheikh Hasina.
After the meeting, party’s General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters that Latif had been expelled from the party for hurting religious sentiments of the Muslims.
After a video clip of Latif’s speech emerged on social media, several senior party leaders came down hard on Latif for his “irresponsible” remarks.
Islamist parties brought out protest processions in the capital as well as elsewhere in the country, demanding capital punishment to Latif Siddique for his comments on hajj, Prophet Muhammad (SM) and Tabligh Jamaat.
Several Islamist parties, including Hefazat-e-Islam, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, brought out processions in the capital and staged demonstrations.
Latif got involved with Awami League politics by joining the Chhatra League. He was elected the vice-president of Korotia Sadat College Students Union in 1964-65. He was elected an Awami League lawmaker in 1970. He was further elected an MP in 1973, 1996, 2008 and 2014, and served as a minister from 2009 until his expulsion.
Latif was elected the party’s presidium member, the highest policymaking 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.
What he said
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, Latif said he was against hajj and Tabligh Jamaat more than he was against Jamaat-e-Islami.
He 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 100,000 people perform hajj every year on an average and spend Tk5 lakh each, then the total cost stands at Tk500 crore.”
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 Joy, saying: “Why do you often mention of Joy? Who is Joy Bhai? Joy is nobody in the government. He cannot make any decision.”
