Were the allegations that have come forward against Latif Siddique completely unknown till now?
Latif Siddique has gotten himself into quite some trouble for saying things he shouldn’t have. He has done that before, but this time he has said things so sensitive that he has ended up being shunned by both his party and the government. This outcome doesn’t seem to have made anyone upset either. If someone in a high-ranking position talks without using common sense, he could possibly be cut some slack for that mistake only.
However, the issue didn’t quite end there. The two initiatives by both the government and the opposition are noticeable. The opposition is desperate to turn the words of an overly talkative minister into the government’s fault. The public is not really buying that. It’s as though the BNP has turned politics that is detached from public sentiment into its own special brand in the last two years. The BNP will have to pay the price for its own faults – there is not much more to say to that.
However, the behaviour of the ruling party is questionable as well. The Awami League has proven its political wisdom by announcing the immediate expulsion of Latif Siddique from both the parliament and the party, and by quickly making it effective. However, the problem is somewhere else. We have noticed, with much surprise, that a bunch of allegations of corruption and even possible cases against Latif Siddique have come forward shortly after he created trouble for the party by mouthing off in the wrong way. If there are credible allegations of corruption against any minister, they should be properly investigated. If there is evidence, cases should also be filed. However, one question still remains: Why is there a sudden rush to prove him corrupt now?
The first and main crime of Latif Siddique was his horribly offensive comment about religion. Being expelled from the parliament and the party was the proper punishment for him. But allegations and cases about corruption being part of the punishment for his crime is quite strange. Does this mean that as long as ministers can get away with saying insensible things, they don’t need to worry about their actual conduct?
Also, were the allegations that have come forward against Latif Siddique completely unknown till now? If they were known, how did he manage to stay as minister for so long? Does this mean that as long as the wrong words don’t come out of your mouth, you can stay minister as long as you want?
It can’t be said that he has become the focus of the ACC because of his corruption. His real crime was embarrassing his party by saying insensitive things. So, you can engage in corruption, but you have to watch your mouth when you talk – is that the lesson to be learnt for those who are left in the cabinet?
If this is not the message the government is trying to send, then before some new “Latif” is discovered, the government should pay attention to three things when it comes to ministers: Do they regularly talk too much? Are they incompetent in their work? And, are they corrupt? If someone is guilty of one or more of the faults mentioned above, then they should be scrutinised a bit more. Get rid of them before something really bad happens.
Eating a mango to see if it gives you stomach ache is not the best way of identifying rotten mangoes. If you think a bad odour is coming from a basket full of mangoes, examine them. If there are rotten mangoes there, toss them out before they reach your mouth.
Until the government is being more vigilant about picking its ministers, my advice towards our honourable ministers would be this: No matter what you do, watch what you say!
Source: Dhaka Tribune
