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Minister faces eight cases

Summoned by 2 courts for hurting religious sentiments

Staff Correspondent
Two Dhaka courts yesterday ordered Post, Telecommunications and IT Minister Abdul Latif Siddique to appear before them on October 28 and 30 in two cases over hurting the religious sentiment of the Muslims.
The courts summoned the minister hours after the cases were filed against him.
Latif was sued in six other cases in Chittagong and Sylhet for his derogatory remarks about hajj,FROM PAGE 1
Prophet Muhammad (SM) and Tablighi Jamaat.
A writ petition was also filed with the HC seeking change in the penal code with provisions of life term imprisonment and death sentence for hurting the religious sentiment of people.
Meanwhile, different organisations and individuals yesterday demanded the government arrest the controversial Awami League leader and hand down exemplary punishment to him for his irresponsible remarks.
Some Islamic parties declared that they will hold protest rallies in front of the Baitul Mukarram national mosque tomorrow.
Islami Andolon Bangladesh and Hefajat-e Islami, among other parties, brought out huge processions in the capital, Feni, Barguna and Munshiganj demanding exemplary punishment of Latif. They threatened to lay siege to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport if their demand is not met.
Speaking at a rally in the city, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad demanded the government hang Latif for his anti-Islam comments.
Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir were locked in clashes with cops during protests in Rajshahi and Natore yesterday demanding arrest of Latif. Several people including a cop were injured, report our Rajshahi correspondent and a private TV channel.
An alliance of Islamic parties, Sammilito Islami Dalsamuho at a briefing at the Jatiya Press Club issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government for arresting Latif. Otherwise, the combine will enforce a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on October 26, said alliance leaders.
Addressing a discussion in the capital, senior AL leader Suranjit Sengupta warned all quarters of not taking any undue political advantage out of the issue.
Speaking at a programme at a New York hotel on Sunday, Latif said he was more against hajj and Tablighi Jamaat than the Jamaat-e-Islami itself.
“Hajj is a waste of manpower. Those who perform hajj don't have any productivity. They weaken the economy; spend a lot of money abroad, ” he mentioned.
20-PARTY ALLIANCE
The BNP-led 20-party alliance yesterday threatened to wage a tough movement if the government does not arrest Siddique immediately and hand down exemplary punishment.
The government has been “trying to create a smokescreen to the reported removal of the minister from the cabinet in a bid to save itself from public wrath,” BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters at the party's Nayapaltan headquarters.
He was briefing newsmen on the meeting of chiefs of the 20-party alliance components. The meeting was held on Tuesday night at the Gulshan office of BNP chief Khaleda Zia.
Fakhrul said although the 20-party combine did not announce any programme protesting Latifs anti-Islam comments due to the ongoing Durga Puja and upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, it will extend full support to all the protest programmes announced by any organisation.
COURTS SUMMON LATIF
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mizanur Rahman took into cognisance the complaints from a lawyer and summoned Siddique to the court on October28.
Abed Reza, former president of Dhaka Metropolitan Bar Association, filed the case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.
In another lawsuit, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim took into cognisance the complaints from a hide trader, Md Badal, and summoned the minister to appear before it on October 30.
WRIT IN HC
Petitioner Eunus Ali Akond urged the HC to order the government to amend the penal code for incorporating the provisions of life term imprisonment and death sentence for hurting the religious sentiment of people.
Talking to The Daily Star, Akond, a Supreme Court lawyer, said the HC might hear the petition after the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.
As per the existing provision of the penal code, the highest punishment for the offence is two years' imprisonment.