Photo: Collected
The Jatiyo Party founded by former President HM Ershad has officially split again today (9 March) as a council loyal to Rowshan Ershad elected a new committee for the opposition party in the parliament.
The council held at the capital's Institution of Engineers elected Rowshan and Kazi Mamunur Rashid as chairman and secretary general respectively.
The split came amid conflict between Rowshan and GM Quader, the current president of another faction of JaPa, centering the party's debacle in the January 7 national election.
Kazi Firoz Rashid was elected as executive chairman and Syed Abu Hossain was elected as senior co-chairman of the party.
Besides, in the new committee, Saidur Rahman, Shafiqul Islam Sentu, Rahgir Almahe Saad Ershad, Golam Sarwar Milon and Shunil Suvho Roy were elected as co-chairman of the party.
The full committee is expected within three to four days.
It was announced in the council that Saad Ershad, son of Rowshan, will act as the party's chairman in the absence of his mother.
Around five thousand councilors and delegates elected the new leadership and approved the new committee of the Jatiyo Party.
Earlier at around noon, the council started with the hoisting of national and party flags.
Leaders of different political parties including Krishak Sramik Janata League President Kader Siddique, Jatiyo Party (Monju) Secretary General Sheikh Shahidul Islam, and Bangladesh Islami Front Chairman MA Matin delivered congratulatory speeches at the program.
Diplomats and representatives of different foreign missions in Dhaka were also present at the program.
The tenure of the central executive committee of the Jatiyo Party expired in December 2022 as the last council of the party was held in December 2019.
Addressing the council, Rowshan said without holding the council JaPa would have been lost.
"We would have lost thousands of leaders and activists if the council was not held," she said.
Saying that there is no division in JaPa, she urged those to return to the party who has left the organization in the past.
"I don't want to misuse the power as chairman. I want to decentralize my power," she said.
Rowshan hoped that "plough", the electoral symbol of JaPa, will be allocated to her faction.
At present, opposition leader GM Quader is chairman while Mujibul Haque Chunnu is the secretary general of a faction of JaPa.
In a show of tension and drama, Rowshan in late January relieved JP chairman GM Quader and secretary general Chunnu from their post and announced to take charge of the party as its chairman.
Rowshan, widow of JaPa founder HM Ershad, announced Jatiyo Party's debacle in the January 9 national election in which JaPa managed to win only 11 seats, its lowest number since 1991.
Rowshan and her son didn't participate in the election due to their conflict with GM Quader over giving nomination.
Many JaPa leaders blamed GM Quader and Chunnu behind the party's debacle in the election.
Messenger/Mahbub
