Latif Siddique committed a heinous offence: PM:Daily Sun

Prime Minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina speaks at the meeting of the party central working committee at Ganabhaban on Sunday evening. PMO photo Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said that the government has been compelled to remove Abdul Latif Siddique from the cabinet for making derogatory remarks on prophet, hajj and Tablig Jamaat. “He (Latif) has committed a heinous offence
. When the government has been arranging the hajj management aptly.... some one from the party makes such derogatory remarks....It is no way acceptable,” Hasina said while delivering an introductory speech at a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at her official residence Ganabhaban. The premier said Siddique made the comment at a time when the President, army chief, cabinet secretary and thousands of pilgrims were in Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj. “I do not know why he has done it....but it is a heinous offence,” she said, adding that she directed the Cabinet Division to prepare a file in removing the Post, telecommunications and Information Minister. “I met the President today (Sunday) and the government has followed the constitutional way to remove a minister from the cabinet,” she said, adding that the government was compelled to take such decision as the remark hurt every Muslim. Portraying her party’s stance over religion, the premier said the AL leaders and activists exercise the religion more than others. Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League, said Awami League is a secular party. “The government will not allow any remark that hurts the sentiments of any religion,” she said. Siddique made the derogatory remarks while attending a views-exchange programme with expatriates from Tangail in New York. “I do not know much mathematics...Mohammad, son of Abdullah, was a very clever and wise person. He saw that the Jazirahtul Arab [the Arabian Peninsula] could not produce any crop; so what will they do for a living? That was why he made an arrangement so that people, especially his followers, would go there and give them something.” He also said, “During hajj, so much manpower is wasted. Over 20 lakh people have gone to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj. They have no work, no production and they only cause deduction.” “Some 20 lakh Tablighi Jamaat people get together annually who do not do any work except halting traffic movement across the country,” he added. About PM’s son, Latif Siddique also said, “Who is Joy? He has no one of Bangladesh government. He can give advice but it is the government that will take decisions.” The premier also issued a note of warning to the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party for its threat of waging movement demanding mid term elections. “Let them issue threats. But if they kill people in the name of movement, the government will take stern action,” she said. “If they carry political actions in a democratic manner, there is no problem. But if they carry out destructive activities and create anarchy, the government will take immediate action,” she added. The premier also took a swipe on a section of people who always look for assuming office through undemocratic manner. “Some opportunists and cohorts of Yahya Khan look for assuming office through undemocratic manner. The country should be saved from the clutches of those people,” she said. Bitterly criticising the quarter, the premier said those people do not dare to go to people but dreamt of assuming office. After the speech, the premier sat in a closed-door meeting with the leaders.