Latif unwanted

Though there is no official restriction on Latif Siddique's return, the ex-minister will be discouraged from entering the country for now as his presence might spark agitation from the Islamists, sources say.

If he is back, those who want to destabilise the country will definitely want to make an issue out of it and try to push the government into a crisis, said a senior Awami League leader, preferring not to be named.

“So we don't want him back,” he said yesterday, adding that the ex-minister's family has been given a message to this end.  

However, Kamal Uddin, additional secretary to the home ministry, told The Daily Star that it is up to Latif whether he would return as the government has imposed no restriction.

Latif, under fire for the comments he made on hajj and Prophet Muhammad (SM) in New York on September 28, was removed from the cabinet as well as the Awami League presidium on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, he had told a reporter of this newspaper over the phone that he wants to return home in four to five days to face courts.

He was reportedly in Kolkata last night. 

With about 30 cases filed against him in different districts, he has been summoned to appear before courts on separate dates from this month to December.

Amid threats of street agitations by different Islamists groups, including Chittagong-based Hefajat-e Islam and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, officials of the Prime Minister's Office and other departments advised Latif not to be back soon, sources say. 

Law enforcement agencies have been kept on alert since before Eid-ul-Azha. Even most of law enforcers who were supposed to go on holidays were asked to remain on duty, sources added. 

“He should be barred from entering the country at this moment,” said a senior official of a law enforcement agency yesterday, preferring not to be named. 

If Latif still returns, another senior minister said, he would be arrested and put in jail as the government is left with no other choice.

AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said the former minister will have to face cases on his return home as law will take its own course. Neither the government nor the party will intervene.

Latif is now on his own, he added.

Besides sacking him from the presidium, the party suspended Latif's primary membership on Sunday.

And yesterday, AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam signed the show-cause notice asking Latif to explain why he would not be expelled permanently. 

As one of the oldest traditional parties in Southeast Asia, the AL just cannot take responsibility for Latif's comments, which hurt religious sentiment of people, the notice read.

“Your statements go against the party policy and principles and clearly violate the party's declaration and constitution. So explain in seven working days why you won't be expelled from the party permanently for acting against the party charter.” 

The notice would be sent to Latif's addresses in Dhaka and Tangail today, said AL Deputy Office Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das.