Nineteen more cases have been filed against senior Awami League leader Abdul Latif Siddique accusing him of hurting religious sentiments.
Four cases were lodged in Dhaka, two in Chandpur and Khulna each, and one in Chittagong, Barguna, Barisal, Chapainawabganj, Noakhali, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Cox’s Bazar, Brahmanbarhia, Comilla and Jessore each on Thursday.
The courts summonsed the telecom minister in 14 of the cases.
He has been asked to appear before the courts by Oct 15, 20, 21 and 29 in the four Dhaka cases, Oct 23 in Chittagong, Nov 16 in Chandpur, Dec 1 in Noakhali, Nov 26 and 28 in Barisal, Nov 9 in Chapainawabganj, Nov 2 in Jessore and Nov 11 in Khulna to explain his remarks.
On Wednesday, seven cases were filed against the ruling party Presidium member on the same grounds at courts in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Barisal. The minister was personally summoned in five of them.
Siddique drew widespread condemnation after rubbishing the practice of Hajj and Tablig Jamaat at a programme in New York on Sunday.
A video clip of him making that statement kicked up a storm as it went viral on the internet and touched a few raw nerves within his party and outside. Not the least because a whole lot of Awami League ministers and senior bureaucrats are performing Hajj now.
“So much manpower is wasted over Hajj. Two million people are now in Saudi Arabia for Hajj. They have no work or role in production. They only eat and go abroad using the country’s money,” Siddique was heard saying in the video.
He also reacted strongly to a question about Sheikh Hasina’s son and ICT Adviser Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy. “Why do you talk about Joy all the time? Who is ‘Joy Bhai’?
“Joy is not in the Bangladesh government. He does not take decisions.”
The Awami League has said that the prime minister has decided immediately to remove him from the Cabinet after his statements. He is also set to lose party membership.
Summoned in Dhaka in 4 cases
President of Jananetri Parishad AB Siddiqui, Bangladesh Ulema-Mashayekh Oikya Jote Senior Vice-Chairman Abu Baka Siddique, advocate Shah Alam, and Nazim Uddin Badal from Tejkuniparha filed separate cases in Dhaka against the lawmaker under section 295 (a) and 298 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Siddique has been ordered to appear before the court of Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Oct 29 by Metropolitan Magistrate Atiqur Rahman in the case filed by AB Siddiqui.
Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan heard the cases lodged by Nazimuddin and Advocate Shah Alam and summoned the ruling party leader.
He has to appear before court on Oct 15 and 21 respectively in the two cases.
Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman asked the minister to appear before it on Oct 21 in the case lodged by Abu Bakar Siddique.
Source: Bd news24
