Staff Reporter :Abdul Latif Siddiqui has finally been removed from the Cabinet as well as all party posts for making derogatory remarks on Hajj and Tablig Jamaat that created a furore at home and abroad. President Abdul Hamid on Sunday terminated Latif Siddiqui as a minister on the advice of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.The Cabinet Division has issued a gazette notification in this regard. As per the gazette notification, the President ordered the removal of the minister from the Cabinet according to Article 58 (1) (C) of the Constitution.Until a new minister is appointed to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and ICT, it will remain under the Prime Minister as per Rules of Business.In the meanwhile, Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) at a meeting on Sunday evening removed Latif Siddiqui from AL presidium as well as all party posts. At the same time, his primary membership in the party was also withheld. However, a show-cause notice would be served soon to Latif Siddiqui in line with the decisions of the meeting giving him seven days to answer. The meeting began at 6.45 pm at PM’s official residence Ganobhaban with AL President Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Senior AL leaders, including presidium member and Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sazeda Chowdhury, general secretary and LGRD minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Agricultural Minister Matia Chowdhury, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and Nuh-Alam Lenin were present at the meeting.The meeting unanimously took the decision, said AL spokesmen Syed Ashraful Islam after emerging from the meeting.Latif Siddiqui was elected party’s presidium member, the highest policy-making body, in an AL’s council in 2009.Responding to a query, Ashraf, also the LGRD minister, said his constituency will fall vacant once he loses his primary membership of the party. Meeting sources said the Prime Minister expressed her severe annoyance over Siddiqui’s attitudes in the ALCWC meeting and urged the committee members to take proper decision in this regard.Apart from Latif issue, the ALCWC also discussed some other important agenda like party’s organisational activities and country’s prevailing political situation, including BNP’s probable anti-government movement.Clarifying her government’s stance, Sheikh Hasina further said, “The appointment of Latif Siddiqui as a minister has been cancelled as per the acts of Constitution. I think he (Latif) has done an unforgivable act…I actually don’t know why one of us has done such an act!”
