
Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddique on Monday said Dr Muhammad Yunus would have been in jail had Siddique been the Prime Minister.
“Dr Yunus is a traitor because he advocated for restoration of the caretaker government system violating the constitution. He should be punished for the offence,” he said.
“Yunus is lucky enough that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is yet to take any action against him,” he told a discussion.
The ruling party-backed Jagannath University teachers’ forum, ‘Blue Panel, arranged the discussion at the university marking the National Mourning Day and protesting the August-21 grenade attack.
On August 22, Dr Yunus said the next national election must be held under a non-party neutral government to make it credible, acceptable and peaceful.
“There’s no scope of having a peaceful election without a non-party neutral (polls-time) government. There must be an election and that is under a non-party neutral government,” he said after a meeting with Krishak-Sramik Janata League leader Bangabir Kader Siddiqui, younger brother of Latif, at Yunus Centre in the capital.
The minister said the caretaker government was a wrong system which was incorporated in the constitution following a movement by the Awami League.
He hoped that the next general election will be held in a free, fair and credible manner under the current regime and Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina will return to power with people’s mandate.
Latif Siddique criticised Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of AL, for what he said their failure to resist those who enforce hartal.
He urged the BCL leaders and activists to get ready to face those who enforce hartal or blockade programme.