State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Monday that the law enforcing agencies could not arrest Abdul Latif Siddique without consent of the parliament Speaker.
"The parliament session is going on. He (Siddique) is still a member of parliament (MP). So it requires prior permission from the Speaker to arrest him," he told the media at his secretariat office in reply to a question about the arrest of the former minister of Awami League (AL).
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, however, said that no prior approval is required to arrest Tangail-4 MP Abdul Latif Siddique outside parliament premises, according to bdnews24.com.
Asked whether he thought that it was the government's failure as police could not arrest him (Siddique), the state minister said, "We don't have any failure. It is true that there is High Court directive to arrest, and at the same time it is also true that he is still an MP. There are some legal complications relating to his arrest and I don't know more about this".
Meanwhile, two Islamic parties have issued stern warnings to the government that they would enforce hartal (general strike) for Thursday next if Siddique -- who was sacked from the cabinet and also expelled from the party (AL) -- is not arrested by tomorrow (Wednesday).
Bdnews24.com adds: Former telecom minister Siddique, who was dropped from the Cabinet and Awami League Presidium over his Hajj tirade, returned to Bangladesh Sunday night.
The media has been speculating about the Speaker's approval before arresting a lawmaker as some organisations including Hifazat-e Islam have threatened countrywide strikes to press for his arrest.
Siddique has been accused of hurting religious sentiments in a series of cases filed against him across the country after he made the remark in a discussion in New York in September last. There are also warrants issued for his arrest.
"The Rules of Procedure clearly states that Speaker's permission is mandatory to arrest an MP from the Parliament premises. However, the rules regarding the arrest of a lawmaker while Parliament is in session will be applicable for an MP," Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury told bdnews24.com on Monday.
The Parliament's Rules of Procedure states: "No one can be arrested within the premises of Parliament without securing permission from the Speaker."
It defines premises as the assembly hall, lobby, gallery and any place specified by the Speaker temporarily.
The Rules of Procedure requires the authorities to inform the Speaker if an MP has been arrested, convicted or detained upon executive orders.
However, The East Pakistan Assembly Members' Privileges Act 1965 says that an MP is not required to appear before a civil or criminal court during the session and before or after seven days of a session.
An official of the Parliament Secretariat told bdnews24.com that the law formulated during the Pakistani regime was still in force.
Siddique is still a member of the 10th Parliament, which is in session, though he has been expelled from the Awami League.
Hartal
UNB adds from Chittagong: Hefajat-e-Islam Bangladesh threatened Monday to enforce a daylong countrywide hartal Thursday if sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique is not arrested by tomorrow (Wednesday) for his disparaging remarks against Islam.
Hefajat organising secretary Maulana Azizul Haque Islamabadi said that they have taken the decision at a meeting on Monday.
Besides, they called a nationwide demonstration programme for today (Tuesday) demanding Latif Siddique's immediate arrest.
Meanwhile, leaders of Ahle Sunnat-al Jamaat, another Islamist group, have issued a threat to besiege the Home Ministry on Wednesday if Latif is not arrested in 48 hours.
They also announced a human chain and demonstration programme for today (Tuesday) demanding Latif's arrest.
Advocate Mosaheb Uddin Bakhtiar, member secretary of Ahle Sunnat-al Jamaat central coordination committee, announced their programmes at a press briefing at Chittagong Press Club on Monday.
More than 20 cases have so far been filed against Latif Siddique across the country while some courts issued warrants for his arrest.
At a views-exchange meeting with expatriates from Tangail in New York on September 28 last, Latif Siddique made disparaging remarks against hajj, one of the main pillars of Islam, and Tablig Jamaat.
Following his remarks, the Awami League-led government sacked Latif Siddique from the cabinet on October 12.
He was also removed from the Awami League presidium and his primary membership of the party was cancelled.
Sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique returned home on Sunday night, nearly two months after his remarks hurting the religious sentiment of the Muslims.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
