[2][3] On 26 July 1982, at a celebration of Maldivian Independence Day, Hameed gave a public speech in which he claimed that Minicoy Island was part of the Maldives.

[4] Hameed was the Minister of Atolls at the time and his speech was interpreted as an official claim over the island.

[5] President Gayoom hurriedly clarified that Hameed's speech was intended to highlight the linguistic, cultural, and religious ties between the Maldives and Minicoy and that the Maldives was not intending to make a political claim over the atoll.

[6] The order was a follow-up to the April 2011 request of the Court for the police to locate Hameed, who as of 2011 was believed to reside in Sri Lanka.

[7] Hameed died on 18 August 2015 in Bangalore while receiving treatment for heart failure.