Hartal for Thursday

Staff Reporter :Several Islamic parties staged demonstration and brought out processions in the city and other parts of the country on Monday protesting the government’s role after the return of sacked minister and ousted Awami League leader Abdul Latif Siddiqui. They demanded his immediate arrest and capital punishment for his derogatory comments about Islam. Some of the Islamic parties called hartal for Thursday and warned of the launching tougher programmes if the government does not take action against Latif Siddiqui. The Chittagong-based much-talked-about Islamic platform- Hefazat-e-Islam called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal for Thursday. Several other Islamic parties also called hartal on the same day demanding arrest of Latif Siddiqui by Wednesday,Hefazat will also stage demonstrations across the country today (Tuesday) to press home their demands for Latif Siddiqui’s arrest. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the central committee of the platform at Hathazari Madrasha in Chittagong with its chief Allamah Shah Ahmed Shafi in the chair, said Maulana Monir Ahmed, press secretary of Ahmed Shafi.Meanwhile, the National Democratic Front (NDF) will observe a daylong hartal today (Tuesday) if Latif Siddiqui is not arrested before Tuesday. Braving several court warrants pending for his arrest, Latif Siddique returned to Dhaka on Sunday evening, nearly two months after his remarks hurting the religious sentiment of Muslims. On September 28, he at a meeting in New York commented against Prophet Muhammad (SM), Hajj and the Tablig Jamaat, In protest against his return and Government’s inaction to arrest him, the pro-BNP lawyers brought out a procession on Supreme Court premises on Monday noon. Ahle Sunnat-al Jamaat, another Islamist group, issued a threat to besiege the Home Ministry tomorrow (Wednesday) if Latif Siddiqui is not arrested in 48 hours. The platform also announced a human chain and demonstration programme for today (Tuesday).Advocate Mosaheb Uddin Bakhtiar, member secretary of Ahle Sunnat-al Jamaat central coordination committee, announced the programmes at a press briefing at Chittagong Press Club on Monday.Sammilito Islami Dal Somuho, a platform of several Islamic parties, also announced hartal for Thursday demanding arrest of Latif Siddiqui. Maulana Jafrullah Khan, member secretary of the alliance, made the announcement of the hartal at a press conference in the city. Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) also called daylong hartal for Thursday. The party called the hartal at a protest rally in the city on Monday. Mufti Faizullah, secretary general of the party, announced the hartal programme. Meanwhile, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) called a grand rally in the city demanding capital punishment to Latif Siddiqui and enactment of law in this regard. The IAB leader Ashraf Ali Akon announced the programme at a protest in the city.