Hussain Muhammad Ershad's Jatiya Party (JaPa) is getting smaller and smaller. The twelfth National Assembly election centerd saw a re-emergence of conflict within the party. Which has come to light now. The image of erosion is visible again. The party leaders had differences over the election. That rift hasn't stopped yet. And in the meantime, dismissals and resignations are rampant. The fragmented JaPa is getting smaller and smaller.
JaPa was founded by one-time dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad. After his death, Begum Roshan Ershad, the former chairman and main patron of the party, got into a dispute over her position and policy position. The then General Secretary Mashiur Rahman Ranga supported Roshan's argument. In this, he lost all the posts including the primary member of the party. Before the election, Roshan, Ranga, and their companions met Awami League President Sheikh Hasina regarding the election. They requested not to enter into any agreement with JaPa led by the current chairman Golam Mohammad Quader (GM Quader). However, the request was not saved due to various political calculations. GM Quader and his followers won that journey too. However, most of the party's policy-making forum had a negative attitude about the election. Still, the dispute started with GM Quader's single decision to go to the election. Which has now taken the form of a breakdown.
As the JaPa announced going to the polls, several central leaders of the party openly accused the government of taking advantage. BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and other parties boycotted the twelfth national election under the party government. In this context, even if the JaPa goes to the polls, most of the party leaders were in favor of not going to the polls as they would not get good results. But in the end, the majority opinion was ignored and the election was participated. Allegations that money was taken from the nominees for giving party nominations were also made public. Secretary of Bhola district JaPa complained live on Facebook about not getting the nomination of the party. Some people even besieged the party office and demonstrated publicly. The leaders alleged that nominations were made by taking money. Moreover, by nominating candidates in 265 seats, a compromise was reached with the Awami League in only 26 seats. The candidates of the party were blown away by this. Those whose constituencies were not compromised with the Awami League expressed their anger at such a decision of the party. As a part of anger and dissatisfaction, the party's senior leader and former minister Kazi Feroz Rashid withdrew from the election first. He did not agree to the election with the boat candidate without compromise. Since then hundreds of candidates withdrew from the election one by one. Some of them boycotted the elections by making public announcements or holding press conferences. Others quietly withdrew from the electoral field. These candidates could not meet the chairman and general secretary of the party despite several attempts.
Leaders like Kazi Feroz Rashid, Masiur Rahman Ranga, and Syed Abul Hossain Bablad are no longer in the JaPa. Roshan Ershad, the wife of the founder of the party, is now the main sponsor of the party on paper. She is practically useless and unimportant in the party. She is not active in any party work. She is not seen in any work.
This time, the leaders of the party raised various complaints about the 12th National Assembly elections. Many announced their resignations at press conferences. Yesterday also more than six hundred leaders of Dhaka announced their resignation from JaPa. JaPa Chairman Golam Mohammad (GM) Quader and General Secretary Mujibul Haque Chunnu have been accused of arbitrariness by 671 leaders and workers of 10 police stations of Dhaka Metropolitan North of the party resigned yesterday. The resignation was announced by Shafiqul Islam Sentu, the recently expelled convener of Japa Dhaka Metropolitan North, in a press conference at the National Press Club. They alleged that the party chairman and general secretary traded nominations. They did not even help the candidates in the elections. After the polls, the defeated candidates of Japa, including Sentu, called a special meeting and spoke publicly against Quader-Chunnu, raising various allegations.
Before this, JaPa Chairman's advisor, Gazipur Metropolitan Committee President and former Health Secretary MM Niaz Uddin resigned from JaPa. On January 14, he submitted his resignation letter to the Chairman of JaPa. A day after the 12th National Assembly elections, assistant professor FM Saiful Islam, the nominee of JaPa for Gazipur-3 (Sripur and part of Gazipur) constituencies, resigned from the party along with 4 leaders of his close followers. They said they resigned from the party due to party non-cooperation locally and centrally. In this way, the party's leaders and activists continue to resign in different districts of the country. Chairman GM Quader and Mujibul Rahak Chunna were telephoned several times to inquire about the current situation of the party, but they did not receive the call. Because of this, their statements were not available.
Incidentally, earlier the JaPa was dissolved and the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) led by Najiur Rahman Manju, Jatiya Party (JP) led by Anwar Hossain Manju, Jatiya Party (Jafar) led by former Prime Minister Kazi Zafar Ullah and Jatiya Party (Matin) were established. Now there are rumors that another new national party may be formed.
ARS
