GM Quader is facing new pressure

The main opposition Jatiya Party now remains almost silent as party chairman GM Quader is facing a ban on  carrying out party activities.

JP leaders, including GM Quader, were very much vocal against the activities of the present Awami League-led government.

In recent past, they also criticised the government, terming it ‘authoritarian’.

But after filing of cases against GM Quader, he along with his party leaders has been silent and almost inactive in the party activities.

“Our party chairman (GM Quader) is not giving any decision officially now as the court banned activities of the party chairman,” Jatiya Party secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu told the Daily Sun.

He, however, claimed that their party activities are going on as usual at present. “We are now holding programmes outside Dhaka.”

Chunnu said the court may pass order on Wednesday on GM Quader's petition, seeking cancellation of its ban on carrying out the party activities.

A Dhaka court issued the ban on October 31 after former Jatiya Party lawmaker Ziaul Haque Mridha filed a petition, seeking an injunction on the activities of GM Quader as party chairman.

Ziaul Haque, also a former adviser to the Jatiya Party chairman, was removed from the party on September 17.

Ziaul Haque has recently claimed at a press conference that GM Quader removed him from the party ‘illegally’.

Claiming that opposition leader Raushan Ershad-led Jatiya Party is real, he also urged GM Quader to step down from the post.

However, after issuance of the temporary ban on GM Quader, who was vocal against the government’s activities have become almost silent and is not making any remarks criticising the government for last few days.

“GM Quader is now under pressure following the court's order. That’s why he remained silent in fear of falling in further problems,” a JP presidium member, loyal to GM Quader, told the Daily Sun, wishing not to be named.

Party insiders said GM Quader earlier planned to discuss the matters with the BNP to extend their support to the party ahead of the next general election.

A group of the party senior leaders, including its senior co-chairman Annisul Islam Mahmud, are also giving him advice to this end.

In this situation, seeing GM Quader’s anti-government stance, a group of the party leaders who support the incumbent government have become angry with him and they have stood against him.

Party sources said the Jatiya Party chairman didn't take part in any party activities since the court issued the order on October 31.

Talking to the Daily Sun, a number of the party’s senior leaders said the situation won't get normal until the court order about ban is revoked. The ban came in a case filed against GM Quader by Ziaul Haque Mridha on 4 October.

GM Quader's lawyer placed the arguments before a Dhaka court on November 10 for lifting the ban order.

Upon hearing both the sides, the judge told both the parties that he will pass an order on the issue later after perusing all the documents.

Opposition Chief Whip Moshiur Rahman Ranga, who was removed from the Jatiya Party on September 14, filed another case with the court on October 28.

In the case, GM Quader was asked to explain why he would not be barred from taking the party decisions, party sources said.

Jatiya Party leader Md Idris Ali at a press conference in the capital on November 3 said the High Court ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to take action against GM Quader and warned the ACC of action if any negligence in the investigation takes place.

Idris said in the complaint that GM Quader ‘embezzled’ Tk 18 crore 10 lakh in the process of giving nomination to four women lawmakers for the Jatiya Party in the reserved seats for women, in the previous general election held in 2018.

The party central leaders said such conflicting situation has been created inside the Jatiya Party due to longstanding dispute between the party’s two top leaders-GM Quader and Rarushan Ershad.

The conflict deepens as the Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party submitted letter to the Jatiya Sangsad Speaker to remove Raushan from the post of the leader of the opposition and select Quader for the post.

Earlier, Raushan Ershad, the chief patron of the Jatiya Party, on August 31 convened the party’s 10th national council session in Dhaka for November 26, bypassing GM Quader.

However, Raushan has recently has postponed the council amid intensified conflict.

Source: Daily Sun