Chittagong: The ruling Awami League lawmaker MA Latif on Saturday denied distortion of the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.  

‘I take responsibility to trace out the culprits who committed such heinous task for smearing of my image though I had to respond three days later as I was busy for joining Parliament session,’ he added.  

Latif told the journalists at a press conference at Bangabandhu Auditorium arranged by Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) to mark the conclusion of its five days programme.  

Talking to the journalists Latif also defended himself by saying that since he was busy with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit he had assigned the job of preparing and hanging up the bill boards for pasting the portraits of Bangabandhu to other concerned.  

‘But I categorically say that this task has not been done by the persons, appointed by me,’ he asserted. He sought cooperation from the journalists for tracing out the culprit responsible for the incident.  

He confessed to the journalists the billboards showed a photograph and its posture, attire and shoes did not match with those of the Bangabandhu.

It had superimposed just the head of Bangabandhu on the portrait of himself as the body was not similar to that of Bangabandhu, he admitted.  

Denying his involvement with heinous work, Latif said that he was surprised to go through the incident. ‘What benefit could I get from it’, he questioned.

‘A vested quarter has been conspiring against me for last seven years. Such allegations have been brought against me several times and I am being harassed for last seven years by them,’ he added.  

Earlier, a Tk 1,000 crore defamation case was filed on Thursday against the ruling party lawmaker MA Latif in Chittagong on charge of tampering with Bangabandhu’s picture on billboards and festoons set up in Patenga and Bandar areas of the port city.

Former Jubo League leader Saifuddin Robi lodged the case with Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Farid Alam’s court.

Taking cognizance of the charge against the Chittagong-11 (Bandar-Halishahar-Patenga) lawmaker, under sections 500, 501 and 502 of Bangladesh Penal Code, the court asked the police to investigate the matter.  

Latif, a former president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, joined Awami League in 2008 and was elected lawmaker with its ticket from the Chittagong-11 constituency. He also became an lawmaker unopposed in the 5 January 2014 election from the same seat.