State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said law will follow its own course in the case of Abdul Latif Siddique terminated on October 12 as soon as he returns to the country.
The junior minister made the remark while replying to queries of the journalists at his office yesterday.
The government has received several orders from the court on his arrest. The ministry will take action against Latif as per the court’s direction, Kamal said.
Meanwhile, several arrest warrants were issued against Latif Siddique in a case filed for hurting the religious sentiment of the Muslims by making derogatory comments.
When asked about the government’s achievement on visiting United Arab Emirates from October 25 to 27, the junior minister said: “We have around 10 lakhs of Bangladeshi people in UAE. We are working to ensure their safety and security.”
“Around 1,019 Bangladeshi people are in the UAE jails at present. Of them, around 40 are convicted for their proven involvement in offences and crimes. Of them 19 are death-row convicts,” he added.
“We have signed an agreement with the UAE government. We will take initiative to bring them back shortly in accordance with the agreement.”
When asked about JMB’s involvement with India’s West Bengal blast, Kamal said India provided no information over the matter.
He, however, said the government had engaged its own intelligence agencies to look into the issue. Several steps have already been taken to this end.
There is no room for militants in Bangladesh, the minister reiterated saying the government is identifying the finance sources of the outfits.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of recently sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique in a case filed for hurting religious sentiments of Muslims.
Metropolitan Magistrate SM Ashiquer Rahman issued the warrant as Latif did not appear before the court although the court earlier issued summon against him in the case.
On October 2, Advocate Abed Raja filed the case with the same court against the former posts and telecommunications and ICT minister.
Hearing the charges brought against Latif Siddique, the court issued a summon asking him to appear before the court on Tuesday (October 28).
With this, a total of three arrest warrants have so far been issued from three Dhaka courts against Latif Siddique for hurting people’s religious sentiment by his remarks.
Earlier on October 15, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan issued the first arrest warrant while Magistrate Meher Nigar Shuchona issued the second warrant against Latif on October 20 from the Dhaka Court.
However, Latif was sued in some 30 cases for his derogatory comments on hajj, Prophet Muhammad (SM), Tablig Jamaat and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy during a programme in New York on September 28.
His disparaging comments sparked off widespread criticisms and street protests in Bangladesh and elsewhere and cost his job.
In the wake of his insulting comments, Latif was fired from the cabinet on October 12. Moreover, the Awami League Central Working Committee expelled him from the party presidium.
