Ex-minister Latif Siddique denied bail in a second case

A Dhaka court has once again denied bail to former minister Abdul Latif Siddique in a second case of 'hurting religious sentiments'.

His lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua filed the petition on Sunday in the case filed by one Abu Bakar Siddiki to the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Rezaul Karim heard the matter and rejected the bail petition.

The complaint by Abu Bakar Siddiki, a leader of Awami League affiliate the Olama League, was filed on Oct 2 this year, two days after the former minister's tirade against Hajj.

The court had then accepted the case and summoned Latif Siddique and arrest warrant was issued following his absence.

The 77-year old politician's remarks on Hajj at a programme in New York in September kicked off a flurry of protests.

Protesters demanded he be sacked from the Cabinet and prosecuted. A number of cases accused him of hurting religious sentiments were filed and warrants of arrests were issued.

"I'm more averse to Hajj and Tabligh than I am to Jamaat-e-Islami. So much manpower is wasted over Hajj. Two million people are now in Saudi Arabia for Hajj. They have no work or role in production. They only eat and go abroad using the country’s money," he had said.

The five-time MP from Tangail-4 subsequently lost his Cabinet berth and was expelled from the party while he was abroad.

He went to India from the US before returning home on Nov 23. A day later, the former Awami League Presidium member surrendered at the Dhanmondi Police Station.

He was produced before a Dhaka court, which ordered him to prison as Siddique did not seek bail that day.