Islamist groups call hartal if Latif Siddiqui not arrested

A coalition of Islamist groups has threatened to enforce hartal (shutdown) on Oct 26 if minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui is not arrested for his remarks against Hajj. ‘Sammilito Islami Dal-samuho’ has also scheduled countrywide protests for Friday. Mawlana Zafrullah Khan, secretary general of the coalition, said authorities must arrest the posts and telecommunications minister by Oct 15. Speaking at a press brief at National Press Club on Wednesday, he claimed the Cabinet was trying to scam the people about his expulsion from government. ‘This is their clever politics. We demand that he be arrested and put on trial for hurting religious sentiments by making inappropriate comments on Islam,’ Mawlana Zafrullah Khan said. Latif Siddiqui, also the ruling party leader, said in the United States on Sunday that he was ‘against Hajj and Tabligh Jamaat’. He made the remarks at a function organised by expatriate Bangladeshis in New York, according to bdnews24.com.