DHAKA BUREAU: The internal conflict between Jatiya Party (JAPA) chief sponsor Roshan Ershad and party chairman GM Quader has taken a dramatic turn. GM Quader held a meeting with the parliamentary committee members of the party before the parliamentary session started last Sunday afternoon. Japa MPs unanimously decided to remove Roshan Ershad from the position of opposition leader of the National Assembly and replace him with GM Quader until the gazette is published. Later that night Roshan Ershad Ahoot decided to postpone the Jatiya Party Council on November 26. It is said that after talking to the leaders of both sides, this announcement of suspension of the council was suddenly announced by Roshan Ershad as part of the compromise.
According to sources, the situation changed with the intervention of the top echelons of the government to resolve the conflict between Roshan Ershad and GM Quader. Because the government does not want any split in the Jatiya Party at the moment. It also has the government’s interest. If BNP does not come in the 12th election, the government plans to bring forward JAPAN as the main opposition party like in 2014. That’s why the government is trying to resolve this dispute between husband and wife. As a part of this, the announcement of the suspension of the November 26 council called by Roshan Ershad came. In this situation, Japa sources said that the tension between Roshan and GM Kader about the opposition leader of the parliament is going to end. In this case, Roshan Ershad is the leader of the opposition in the parliament. However, GM Quader will not make any compromise on the issue of Moshiur Rahman Ranga, the opposition chief whip of the parliament. Fakhrul Imam was elected opposition chief whip at the Jatiya Party chairman GM Quader’s office in Banani on Monday in the parliamentary party meeting. A letter has also been sent to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury to take necessary steps in this regard.
In recent times, the internal conflict in the Jatiya Party, the opposition party in the Parliament, has reached an extreme level. In such a situation, the senior leaders of the party were looking for a solution through compromise at any cost to save the party from the risk of unwanted division in front of the 12th national election. But the responsible leaders of the party tried to communicate with Roshan Ershad and failed to resolve the dispute. In this, GM Quader walks towards a more hard line. At the last meeting of the presidium of the party, a decision was made – if necessary, Roshan Ershad and his son Saad Ershad will also be expelled. However, party sources said that there is no need to go that way. Because already by talking to the leaders of both sides, a semblance of compromise has been found.
In this regard, a leader close to GM Quader said – JAPA chairman is known as a very honest and decent person. He does not want the party left by late Hussain Muhammad Ershad to be divided for any reason. He wants to strengthen Jatiya Party with everyone. That’s why he wants to keep the party united even with maximum concessions. Besides, there is not much time left for the upcoming national elections.
We also need party preparation. Other political forces will take advantage of the disunity within the party, especially ahead of the election. Besides, party leaders will be confused. The result will not be good for us at all. In this situation we have no option to stay united. That is why the chairman wants to settle the unwanted problem with the main sponsor of the party. He is also ready to make some concessions for the sake of keeping the party united.
In response to a question, the leader said that Roshan Ershad has created the problem. A few people who dropped out of the group at different times confused the madam. We respect Roshan Ershad. He is our mentor. We want him to live with dignity for as long as he lives. There was no plan to remove him from the post of Leader of the Opposition. But the chairman of the party had to take a tough decision in his activities.
Meanwhile, the Jatiya Party announced on Sunday that it will not go to Parliament until the Chairman of the Jatiya Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition GM Quader is gazetted as the Leader of the Opposition. However, after receiving the Speaker’s assurance regarding their application, the Jatiya Party MPs changed their decision and joined the parliament session on Monday. A leader close to the Jappa chairman was contacted to find out about this. You have joined the parliament on the assurance of the speaker, whether the speaker has given any decision about the leader of the opposition party – the leader said – regarding the election of the leader of the opposition party, the speaker has asked the Japa leaders to wait for a few days.
Meanwhile, in a press release signed by Golam Masih, member secretary of Roshan’s conference preparation committee, the convened council was postponed on Sunday, November 26. Several leaders of the conference preparation committee were contacted on mobile phones to find out more about this, but none of them knew anything, he said. However, a Roshanpanthi leader who did not wish to be named said, “We want to go towards reconciliation.” It is a good sign if reconciliation initiatives are taken. In response to a question, he said, we also want the party to be united. Why will the party be divided? May the party be stronger with everyone. The party should be strengthened with everyone in the upcoming national elections. There is no option to unite the party.
Incidentally, Roshan returned home from Thailand on June 27 after eight months of treatment. At that time, the party’s chairman GM Quader along with the leaders of various levels of the party received him at the airport. The next day he thanked the party leaders at a hotel in the capital. After four days, he went to Thailand for further treatment. Suddenly
