DHAKA: Former minister Abdul Latif Siddique, in an interview with BBC Bangla from Kolkata of West Bengal on Monday said he was not repentant for his comments over hajj and Tablig Jamaat.

But he felt sorry, according to the interview, for the emerging situation the ruling Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are facing.

Latif Siddique also claimed that a vested quarter distorted his comments over the issues.

Taking full responsibility of his speeches, Latif Siddique said, on September 29, he had talked for more than one and half hour in New York but no one asked for the full speech.

The senior AL leader also said being a supporter of democracy he accepted the decision of the party members about stripping him from cabinet and the party presidium.

He also said that he did not consider this as an injustice to him.

He also said he was interested in returning home but pondering over whether that would be harmful for party and its leaders.

In response to a question about the similar fate that poetess Taslima Nasreen and poet Daud Haider shared, about not being able to return to country, he claimed that a quarter has distorted his speeches, position and logic; that he was engaged in an academic discussion only.

On Sunday, government issued a gazette notification discharging former Post, Telecommunications and ICT minister Abdul Latif Siddique from his duty for derogatory comments on hajj and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Tablighi Jamaat.

Ruling AL also relieved him from the party presidium and suspended his primary membership of the party on that day.

BDST: 1139 HRS, OCT 14, 2014