JP impasse has no end

The political stalemate created in Jatiya Party over its leadership has still not come to an end, causing widespread concern for leaders and activists of the main opposition party in parliament.

Jatiya Party chief patron Raushon Ershad and its chairman GM Quader cannot reach any understanding yet to break the stalemate, party insiders said.

GM Quader’s political fate may be decided today as the Appellate Division fixed December 13 for delivering judgment on the temporary embargo on his political activities.

“The issue of making GM Quader as opposition leader hasn’t been settled yet as the Jatiya Sangsad Speaker didn’t give any decision in this regard yet. However, we have no plan to withdraw the application,” Jatiya Party secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu told the Daily Sun.

Talking to the Daily Sun, Jatiya Party leader Golam Mosih, loyal to Raushon Ershad, said, “We will take a decision about holding a council session of our party after celebrating its founding anniversary on January 1.”

It seemed that the ice of the internal conflict started to melt following a meeting between Raushon Ershad and GM Quader on November 29, but no progress has happened later, party sources said.

“They discussed family issues and political perspectives. But no final decision (about internal stalemate) has been taken yet. Both the groups will decide the next steps after further discussions,” Raushon’s spokesperson Kazi Mamunur Rashid told the Daily Sun after the meeting.      Another leader of Jatiya Party, loyal to Raushon Ershad, said she wants to run the party on her instruction and include the expelled leaders, including Moshiur Rahman Ranga.

Raushon Ershad also wants that her son Rahgir Al Mahi alias Saad Ershad will remain in the top position of the party, the sources added.

However, Chunnu said there is no chance at all to withdraw the expulsion orders against some leaders.

The sources further said under pressure from inside and outside the party, GM Quader was compelled to meet Raushon Ershad and make an understanding with her to resolve the stalemate as he has remained silent after the court embargo on his activities as chairman of the party.

If GM Quader finally can’t perform as chairman of the party, its senior co-chairman Annisul Islam Mahmud may act as acting chairman of the party, said a leader.

In the wake of the longstanding internal dispute, some party leaders have taken the side of GM Quader while some others have taken the side of Raushon Ershad.

At the same time, a number of the leaders also have been creating pressure on the both sides to remain united for the sake of the party.

On her arrival in Dhaka from Bangkok on November 27, Raushon said, “I always want the unity of Jatiya Party…there is no question of splitting the party.”

She called upon the followers of Anwar Hossain Manju, Naziur Rahman Manzur and Kazi Jafar Ahmed who left Jatiya Party at different times, to return to the party.

“We must give due recognitions to those who were with us during the difficult and adverse times of the Jatiya Party from 1991 to 1996,” the opposition leader said.

Party insiders said the conflict has deepened as GM Quader hinted at making an alliance with the opposition BNP and expelled some leaders, including Moshiur Rahman Ranga and Ziaul Haque Mridha.

However, Raushon Ershad said Jatiya Party has no reason to make any alliance with BNP ahead of the next national election.

After declaring the party’s council by Raushon Ershad, Jatiya Party’s MPs handed over a letter to the Jatiya Sangsad Speaker to remove Raushon Ershad from the post of opposition leader and requested to appoint GM Quader for the post.

Meanwhile, though there was a talking among the Jatiya Party leaders that it may extend support to the BNP, but the party now said its lawmakers will not resign as like as BNP MPs have done.

“It is out of question that our MPs will resign. We have no issue with BNP. Resignation from the parliament is their party issue. And we decide about ourselves,” Chunnu said.

Another Jatiya Party lawmaker Kazi Feroj Rashid said, “Even if our party decides in anyway, but our MPs will not resign from the parliament.”

After announcing their resignation from parliament on December 10, BNP lawmakers called Jatiya Party MPs to resign.

Source: Daily Sun