More woes for Latif

After losing his Cabinet post, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, the Awami League MP from Tangail 4 Constituency, will be showcased by the party asking him to explain why he should not be expelled from the organisation permanently. The show-cause notice will be served on the former AL presidium member on Tuesday, party high-ups said. They said the party decided to send the notice by post according to its constitution and asked Siddiqui to reply within 7 days. According to AL’s constitution, the notice is to send by post. For this reason, it will be sent through proper way on Tuesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, approved the notice when the draft copy was taken to her on Monday. AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam signed it on Monday evening. A gazette notification was issued on Monday discharging the telecommunications and ICT minister from his duty, for his rant on Holy Hajj and Tabligh Jamaat. AL relieved him from the party presidium, also suspending his primary membership of the party on that day. Latif Siddiqui said at a programme in New York on Sept 29 that Hajj is ‘wastage of valuable money and manpower’. He also said that he was against Tabligh, according to a news agency.