Ex-minister Latif Siddique lands in jail after surrender

A Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrates Court gave the order on Tuesday after he surrendered to Dhanmondi police in the afternoon.

Dhaka police's Raman Division Deputy Commissioner Abdul Baten confirmed bdnews24.com of Siddique's surrender.

The court said Siddique was being ordered into jail since he did not seek bail in the case filed by BNP-leaning lawyer ANM Abed Raja.

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 and warrants for him were out too.

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 last Sunday.

Those demanding his prosecution protested as police could not detain him on Monday.