Islamist party threatens hartal
Monday, 24 November 2014
An Islamist party on Monday threatened to call a hartal (shutdown) for Thursday if Latif Siddiqui not arrested immediately. Hefajat-e-Islam, a Chittagong-based platform of madrasa teachers and students, issued the threat saying that it will enforce a daylong hartal on Thursday if Abdul Latif Siddiqui is not nabbed by Wednesday. Meanwhile, State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Latif Siddiqui was not arrested as there was no permission from the Speaker. Earlier media report said that sacked telecom minister Latif Siddiqui went to court for seeking bail in cases filed over his rant over Holy Hajj. The former posts, telecommunications and information technology minister returned home from India on Sunday night. While addressing a views-exchange programme in New York, USA, on September 28, Latif Siddiqui made disparaging comments on Holy Hajj and Tabligh Jamaat, sparking widespread criticism both at home and abroad. Following this, the Awami League MP from Tangail was removed from the cabinet and also expelled from the ruling party, according to a news agency.