UNB, Dhaka :
Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in the capital on Saturday evening ahead of Sunday’s daylong countrywide hartal called by the Islamist parties.Sources at BGB headquarters said the BGB members had already started patrolling the city streets to maintain law and order in association with members of other law enforcement agencies, including the police.
Sammilito Islami Dal, a coalition of Islamist parties, is set to enforce a daylong countrywide hartal on Sunday, demanding Latif Siddique’s trial for his disparaging remarks about Hajj and Tablig Jamaat.
Latif Siddique at a view-exchange meeting with expatriates from Tangail on September 28 in the USA said, “During Hajj, so much manpower is wasted. Over 20 lakh people have gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. They’ve no work, no production and they only cause deduction.”
Latif’s views have already cost him his post as Post & Telecommunications Minister, as well as his place in the Awami League. Presumably fearing the backlash, Siddique instead of returning home has been reportedly residing in India since wrapping up his US tour, during which he was part of the prime minister’s delegation that visited New York for the UNGA.
