Staff Reporter :
At least seven cases were filed against Posts and Telecommunications Minister Abdul Latif Siddique in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet on Wednesday on charge of hurting religious sentiments of the Muslims. The courts summoned Latif Siddique to appear before them.
Latif Siddique was sued for his derogatory comments on the Hajj and the Tablig Jamaat. He made the comments at a meeting in New York on Sunday. He said that he was against Hajj and Tabligh Jamaat more than he was against the Jamaat-e-Islami. Latif Siddique also criticised PM’s son. Among the seven cases, two were filed in Dhaka, four in Chittagong and another in Sylhet. Advocate ANM Abed Raja, former president of Dhaka Metropolitan Lawyers Association filed a case while Badal Miah, a hides and skin merchant and resident of Chawkbazar in Mawartek of the city, filed the other case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court.
Metropolitan magistrate Md Mizanur Rahman recorded the statement of Abed Raja while magistrate Rezaul Karim took statement of Badal Miah. The cases were filed under section 295(A) and section 109 of Bangladesh Penal Code.
Magistrate Mizanur Rahman summoned Latif Siddique to appear before his court on October 28, while Magistrate Rezaul Karim summoned him before his court on October 30. In Chittagong, three lawyers Abdus Sattar, Iftekhar Mahsin and Kawsar Parvin filed separate lawsuits against Latif Siddique at Chittagong Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mushiur Rahman took the charges into cognisance and summoned the minister to appear before his court on October 20. Another case was filed by lawyer Abdul Kayum at the court of Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Ahmed Said.
In Sylhet, Masudur Rahman Khan Munna, a former assistant secretary of Sylhet Bar Association and now a lawyer of pro-ruling party Awami Ainjibi Parishad, filed a case with a local court against Latif Siddiqui. Metropolitan Judicial Magistrate Shahidul Karim took the charges into cognisance for next course of action.
Meanwhile, a writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking arrest of Latif Siddiqui and his removal from the cabinet division. Petitioner Yunus Ali Akond urged the court to order the government for a change in the penal code and include the provision of life term imprisonment and death sentence for hurting religious sentiments. Yunus Ali Akond told media that the HC might hear the petition after the holidays of Eid-ul-Azha.
As per the existing provision of the penal code, the highest penalty for conviction in hurting people’s religious sentiments is two-year imprisonment.
