Abu Jakir :
In the aftermath of the 12th parliamentary elections, internal conflicts have erupted within the main opposition party in the parliament, the Jatiya Party (JaPa), resulting in the party’s division into two factions.
The split has pitted Raushan Ershad, wife of party founder chairman HM Ershad, against GM Quader, HM Ershad’s brother.
The longstanding rivalry between the top leaders of the Jatiya Party, Raushan Ershad and GM Quader, has taken a new turn, with tensions escalating over the leadership following the party’s ‘compromise’ acceptance with the Awami League in the parliamentary elections on January 7.
Both factions claim ownership of the party, but after the party’s 10th national council, Raushan Ershad’s faction announced a new central committee with Raushan Ershad as the chairman and Kazi Mamunur Rashid as the secretary-general.
The announcement was made on the premises of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Dhaka on Saturday.
Rahgir Mahi Ershad, also known as Saad Ershad, son of the party’s founding chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad, will serve as co-chairman, taking over in the absence of his mother, Raushan. Other key positions in the new committee include Kazi Firoz Rashid as executive chairman, Abu Hossain Babal as senior co-chairman, and Saidur Rahman, Shafiqul Islam, Golam Sarwar, and Sunil Shuvoroy as co-chairmen.
Raushan loyalists argue that GM Quader and Chunnu, whom they refer
to as JP outcasts, are no longer a part of JaPa as Raushan Ershad has expelled them along with their faction, claiming that it is the root cause of the party’s troubles.
Responding to Raushan Ershad’s national council, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, the current general secretary of JP, dismissed its significance, labelling its organisers as JP outcasts.
Chunnu said, “Another bracket-bound faction may emerge.
However, under the leadership of GM Quader, we are the main part of JaPa,” emphasise the unity of their Jatiya Party under GM Quader’s leadership.
In an attempt to strengthen his leadership amidst the escalating factionalism, the opposition leader of the parliament, GM Quader, has initiated efforts to hold a counter-council on October 12.
