Ershad asks for Latif Siddique’s arrest

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad has demanded Minister Abdul Latif Siddique’s immediate arrest for his remarks on two biggest Muslim religious gatherings – Hajj and Tablig Jamaat.

Ershad, a Special Envoy to the Prime Minister, in a statement on Tuesday said he was lost for word to condemn such derogatory remarks against one of the four pillars of Islam.

“He must be expelled from the Cabinet and arrested immediately,” the former military ruler said in the statement written in Bangla.

A video clip of Siddique making comment against Hajj and Tablig at an event in New York went viral on Monday.

“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 was heard saying.

The remarks drew widespread criticism. Opposition political parties have demanded his sacking from the government.

BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan and Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi raised the demand in separate events on Tuesday.

Jamaat-e-Islami and Hizafat-e Islam issued separate statements against the minister.

Ershad said Siddique hurt the religious sentiment of the Muslims for which he said seeking apology would not be enough.

“…he must be brought to justice and punished under the existing law,” the Jatiya Party chief said.

He said hurting religious sentiment was also a violation of the Constitution for which he can be indicted.

Ershad said the minister had also insulted the religious belief of the prime minister since Sheikh Hasina was “a pious woman and performed Hajj many times”.

Siddique had also commented against Tablig Jamaat that convenes every year on the bank of Turag River at the Dhaka suburb.

Ershad said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had allocated huge land for them for their annual ‘Biswa Ijtema’ as he respected Tablig.