Shahidul Islam Shahid :
The derogatory remarks, undermining the Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM), the holy Hajj and Tablig Jamaat, made by Posts and Telecommunication Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui at a Jackson height meeting in New York on Sunday, triggered condemnation at home and abroad not only among Muslims but also saner elements of the society. Strongly condemning the remarks made by Latif Siddiqui while talking to journalists on Wednesday noted international affairs expert Prof Dr Shahiduzzaman of Dhaka University said, “Purging Latif Siddiqui from the Cabinet is not enough. He should be punished for hurting religious sentiment and destroying social harmony and peace.”
In an oblique reference to the Prime Minister, Shahiduzzaman recommended that Latif Siddiqui should be stripped off his citizenship of Bangladesh and should not be allowed to enter the country again.
Acting President of the ruling Awami League (AL) Begum Sazeda Chowdhury has dropped a broad hint that punitive actions, including Latif Siddiqui’s purging from the Cabinet and party Presidium, would be taken on return home of Prime Minister and AL chief Sheikh Hasina today.
“The Awami League will not take the responsibility of his (Latif Siddiqui’s) remarks. Our party is a party of believers, we don’t support such statements,” the acting AL President told journalists for the second consecutive days, yesterday at her residence in the capital.
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif on Wednesday informed that Posts and Telecommunications Minister Abdul Latif Siddique has been removed from the Cabinet.
“After hearing the remarks, the Prime Minister has decided to remove
him (Latif) from the Cabinet,” he said, while addressing a press conference at the AL President’s political office at Dhanmondi in the city. “His (Latif) purging from the Cabinet became effective from yesterday,” he added.
Demanding exemplary punishment against Latif Siddqui for his remarks, BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir regretted that the government did not yet clarified its position about the Posts and Telecommunication Minister’s statement.
When contacted over telephone, even leftist leaders, including Workers Party President and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon and JSD (Inu) President and Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, who are now performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia, have expressed deep shock at the remarks made by their cabinet colleague Latif Siddiqui. They said that Latif Siddiqui might have a different view about the religion but he could not make any public statement that is nothing but derogatory.
Meanwhile, Latif Siddiqui, who is now visiting Mexico, said he was not repentant about the public reactions to his statement and he would not withdraw his remarks.
“I can withdraw my remarks and beg public apology only if my leader Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina direct me to do so,” he told reporters, who contacted him over telephone from Bangladesh.
“I don’t care whether I remain in the Cabinet and in the party Presidium or not for my comments. What I have said in New York that is true and I believes in those,” Latif Siddiqui added.
