JaPa under pressure, party men skip central office

Amid protests and demands for banning activities, the Jatiya Party is now under pressure to survive its existence.

No JaPa leader or activist was seen visiting the party’s central office in Dhaka’s Kakrail while additional police were deployed in the area and the army personnel were also patrolling to avoid any untoward incident, witnesses and party sources said.

Different political parties and organisations have been raising voices to ban the Jatiya Party, terming it a traitor and cohort of the deposed fascist Awami League.

The JaPa postponed a scheduled rally in front of its central office at Kakrail on Saturday after the anti-fascist students announced a programme at the same spot and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police banned any sort of gathering in the area to maintain law and order.

Leaders and activists brought out a small procession in front of the party’s Banani office on Saturday and chanted slogans in favour of Chairman Ghulam Muhammed Quader, also known as GM Quader, while he along with some of the party leaders was staying inside the office.

On Thursday, protesters set fire to the Jatiya Party central office at Kakrail following a chase and counter-chase between the students-people and the leaders and activists of the party.

Pragatishil Jatiyatabadi Dal on Saturday demanded the banning of the party's politics and the trial of GM Quader, accusing him of being an accomplice of fascist Sheikh Hasina's genocide.

The party leaders made this demand in a rally organised in front of the Jatiya Press Club. They also demanded the trial of JaPa leaders Anisul Islam Mahmud and Mojibul Haque Chunnu, and the ban on politics of all the partners of the 14-party alliance.

In Khulna, locals said angry students and people vandalised the Jatiya Party office at the Dakbangla intersection around 6pm.

The protesters in procession came to the spot and broke the signboards of the party. Later they entered the office and vandalised furniture, including chairs and tables. They took the damaged goods outside the office and set those on fire.

Meanwhile, Rangpur unit JaPa leaders and activists are guarding the party office round the clock. They brought out a procession wielding sticks in the afternoon.