Parliament heats up with call for Latif Siddique's arrest

Several opposition and independent MPs have demanded cancellation of Abdul Latif Siddique's membership in parliament and his immediate arrest.

Siddique has been facing fire from all sides after his tirade against practice of Hajj at a New York event in September.

He is accused in over a dozen cases filed across the country over charges of hurting religious sentiments. He is also wanted in several of those cases.

Following his remarks, Siddique lost his Cabinet berth and was expelled from the Awami League.

The MPs on Monday raised the demands during an unscheduled discussion in Parliament, a day after the former telecoms minister returned to Bangladesh.

Jatiya Party Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu asked for Siddique's arrest first.

"He is working for the fundamentalists and encouraging them. He must be arrested."

Bablu also demanded an explanation from State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

Kamal told Parliament that Siddique's arrest was being delayed as there were some 'legal complications'.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury earlier on Monday made it clear that no prior approval from her was required to arrest the Tangail-4 MP.

After Bablu, Independent MP Haji Mohammad Salim demanded that Siddique's Parliament membership be cancelled.

He also expressed frustration over the authorities' failure to arrest Siddique Sunday night when he flew in an Air India flight to Dhaka airport around 9pm.

"As far as I know there are seven or eight departments in the airport. What did they do? They (airport authorities) also receive a list (of passengers) before the plane lands. He (Siddique) didn't even use a false name."

Another independent MP, Md Rustum Ali Faraji said, "He (Siddique) wants to put the country in jeopardy. He wants to create unrest in the country. Also, Hifazat-e Islam wants to carry out bloodbath."

He urged the Speaker for a ruling to confirm whether the former telecoms minister was still an MP. "A blasphemy law must be formulated if necessary."

Chittagong-based Islamist outfit Hifazat has already threatened a countrywide shutdown on Thursday if Siddique was not arrested by Wednesday.

Newly formed political alliance, the National Democratic Front (NDF), has also called a daylong nationwide strike for Tuesday demanding his arrest.

However, Awami League MP Suranjit Sengupta in Parliament on Monday mentioned the legal matters related to the issue after the Jatiya Party and independent MPs vented their anger.

Regarding membership cancellation, he said the Constitution did not give the Speaker such powers which she can automatically use.

The membership will only be cancelled if the relevant constitutional articles apply, he added.

About Siddique's arrest, Sengupta said, "The law enforcers are free to arrest if a warrant is issued. The Speaker, however, will have to be notified."

"I think the party and the government will execute all orders from the courts according to law. The law will take its course."