HC grants bail to Latif Siddique in seven cases

The High Court (HC) granted on Tuesday bail to former minister Abdul Latif Siddique in seven separate cases filed for his disparaging remarks on hajj and Tablig Jamaat, reports UNB.
An HC bench comprising Justice Nizamul Haque and Justice Farid Ahmad Shibly granted the bail after hearing a petition filed by Latif Siddiqu's lawyers.
The seven cases were filed in Dhaka and Narayanganj.
Besides, the court suspended all the proceedings of the cases for six weeks, and also issued a rule seeking explanation as to why proceedings of the cases should not be cancelled.
However, Latif Siddique will not be able to come out of the jail as he has been indicted in 21 more cases in other districts in connection with his remarks on hajj and Tablig Jamaat, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, Latif Siddique's lawyer, told reporters.
Earlier on September 28 in 2014, at a views-exchange meeting with expatriates from Tangail in New York, Latif Siddique made disparaging remarks about hajj, one of the main pillars of Islam, and Tablig Jamaat.
Latif Siddique had said: "During hajj, too much of manpower is wasted. Over 2.0 million (20 lakh) people go to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj. They've no work, no production and they only cause deduction."
"Some 2.0 million (20 lakh) Tablig Jamaat people get together annually. They don't do any work except halting traffic movement across the country," he added.
His remarks triggered widespread criticisms both at home and abroad.  Latif Siddique was dropped from the cabinet and expelled from Awami League for his derogatory comments.
He was shown arrested by the police on November 25 in one of the seven cases filed against him in Dhaka for his disparaging remarks on hajj and Tablig Jamaat.