Latif Siddique lands in jail

Abdul Latif Siddique being escorted to a Dhaka court around 40 minutes after his surrender at Dhanmondi Police Station yesterday. The controversial former minister was sent to jail with a number of cases filed against him on charges of hurting religious sentiments. Photo: Amran Hossain

Abdul Latif Siddique looked more like his usual self all along -- from his surrender to landing in jail yesterday.

The sacked minister, who grabbed headlines for his scathing remarks on hajj and Tabligh Jamaat about two months ago, surrendered at Dhanmondi Model Police Station around 1:30pm yesterday, nearly 41 hours after he flew in from India.

As the police station didn't have warrant for his arrest, he was produced before Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court that sent him to prison in a case for hurting religious sentiments.

If the 77-year-old politician is proved guilty in the case, filed by pro-BNP lawyer Abed Raza, he could be sentenced to one year's imprisonment or fine, or both. The charge brought against him is bailable.

After one and a half months' stay in India, Latif arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday night, but was not arrested. He sneaked out of the airport dodging the media. 

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury gave contradictory statements about the procedures for arresting the lawmaker from Tangail-4.

But things moved fast after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday night asked the home minister to arrest the ex-post and telecommunications minister, according to home ministry sources.

Latif spent the Monday night at a house close to Dhanmondi Police Station and walked to the station to surrender yesterday afternoon, said a close aide to the former Awami League presidium member.

"He [Latif] wanted to take a rickshaw to go to the police station. But the intelligence personnel watching over him prevented him for security reasons. They offered him a ride, but he refused and walked to the police station," said Latif's aide.

Latif made a phone call to The Daily Star at 1:14pm, and told the newspaper about his surrender. "Whatever will be, will be … let's see," he said in reply to a query.

The lawmaker, who seemed nonchalant as usual, said he stood by his stance.

A source close to the ex-minister said he was calm and composed in the last two days and asked them not to worry about him.

On entering the Dhanmondi Model Police Station, Latif asked aloud, "Where's the OC's room?"

He was wearing a white striped shirt, ash-coloured pant and white shoes. He stayed in the OC's room for around 10 minutes and appeared to be in a good mood, said police sources.

Abu Bakar Siddique, officer-in-charge of the station, then took him to the court by a police vehicle.

Helal Uddin, OC (investigation) of the station, said they took him to the court because they didn't have any warrant for his arrest.

As Latif was produced before the court around 2:10pm, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Atiqur Rahman asked him if he needed a lawyer or wanted bail.

He told the magistrate that he would speak on his own.

Plaintiff Abed Raza said the former minister had hurt religious sentiments of 200 crore Muslims across the world, and he demanded his exemplary punishment.

Without hearing anything from the accused, the magistrate immediately ordered police to take him to jail. The court fixed December 30 for the next hearing in the case.

During yesterday's hearing, a section of lawyers demonstrated outside the court demanding Latif's punishment.

After the court ruling, some lawyers even showed shoes to him while he was being escorted to a prison van bound for Dhaka Central Jail.

As the van reached the prison, the four-time lawmaker from Tangail refused to enter the jail through a mini gate, saying he was still a sitting MP. He asked the policemen to open the main gate.

Latif waited for around 15 minutes until the authorities opened the main gate.

During that time, reporters repeatedly sought his comments, but he refused. Folding his hands, he requested them not to ask him any questions.

He entered the jail around 3:40pm.

Senior Jail Super Forman Ali told The Daily Star that Latif was given first class division as he is a sitting lawmaker.

The ex-minister faces 22 cases in 18 districts for hurting religious sentiments. Of those, eight were filed in Dhaka. Arrest warrants were issued on him in four cases.

He was sacked from the cabinet on October 12 following his comments against hajj and Tabligh Jamaat at a programme in New York on September 28.

Later, he was expelled from the AL presidium, and also lost primary membership of the ruling party.

His remarks touched off a huge uproar at home and abroad.

Several Islamist parties and organisations announced daylong hartal for Thursday if he was not arrested. They, however, called off the hartal yesterday.

During his stay in Kolkata, he told The Daily Star that he was eager to return home. "It is better to be in jail than to stay abroad. I have experience of staying in prison," he said.

Chaitanya Chandra Halder contributed to this report.