Speaker asks EC to see if he's still MP

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury yesterday sent a letter to the Election Commission (EC) asking to see whether the expulsion of sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique from the Awami League means termination of his membership in parliament.

The party, through a July 5 letter, informed Shirin of the October 24, 2014 expulsion.

There was widespread criticism and uproar at home and abroad after Latif commented on Hajj, Tablighi Jamaat, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the prime minister's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy in a New York programme in September 28, 2014.

On October 12, Latif was sacked from his position as the telecommunications and information technology minister and was also removed from the AL presidium, its highest policymaking body.

Lying low in India allegedly to avoid the public outrage, he returned on November 23 and surrendered to police two days later in a case filed over his remarks. A Dhaka court then sent him to prison.

According to Article 70 of the constitution, the seat of an MP will fall vacant if he resigns from the party that nominated him in the election and if he votes against that party's decision in parliament.

In a similar incident, lawmaker Abu Hena was expelled from the then ruling BNP on November 24, 2005 for his remarks against the rise of militants under the direct patronage of a section of the party and the government.

Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar then announced that Hena would retain his membership in parliament, explaining that Hena had become an independent lawmaker and had neither violated the party's decision nor cast vote against the party.

Another MP, Golam Reza, was expelled by Jatiya Party but he did not lose his membership in the then ninth parliament (2009-2013).