UNB, Dhaka :The High Court on Tuesday granted bail to sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique in 10 separate cases filed inDhaka, |Chittagong, Laxmipur and Chapainawabganj districts for his disparaging remarks on hajj and Tablig Jamaat.An HC bench comprising Justice Nizamul Haque and Justice Farid Ahmed Shibly granted the bail after hearing a petition filed by Latif Siddique’s lawyers.Besides, the court suspended all the proceedings of the 10 cases for six months, and issued a rule seeking explanation as to why proceedings of the cases should not be cancelled.Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua stood for the petitioner during the hearingwhile deputy attorney general Monirul Kabir represented the state.Earlier on May 25, the same HC bench granted bail to Latif Siddique in seven cases filed in Dhaka and Narayanganj for his disparaging remarks on hajj and Tablig Jamaat.However, Latif Siddique will not be able to come out of the jail as he has been indicted in 11 more cases in other districts in this connection, deputy attorney general Monirul Kabir told reporters after Tuesday’s hearing.On September 28 last year, at a views-exchange meeting with expatriates from Tangail in New York, Latif Siddique made disparaging remarks about hajj, one of the main pillars of Islam, and Tablig Jamaat.Latif Siddique had said: “During hajj, too much of 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.””Some 20 lakh Tablig Jamaat people get together annually who don’t do any work except halting traffic movement across the country,” he added.His remarks triggered widespread criticisms both at home and abroad.Latif Siddique was dropped from the cabinet and expelled from Awami League for his derogatory comments.He was shown arrested by the police on November 25 in one of the seven cases filed against him in Dhaka for his disparaging remarks on hajj and Tablig Jamaat.
