Anisul-Howlader committee sends letter to EC seeking recognition

The Jatiya Party faction led by Anisul Islam Mahmud and Ruhul Amin Howlader is seeking “recognition” from the Election Commission (EC).

On 9 August, the council of this faction of the party was held under the leadership of these two leaders. The very next day, they submitted the names of four newly elected committee members to the EC.

The other two names on the list are Senior Co–Chairman Kazi Feroz Rashid and Executive Chairman Mujibul Haque Chunnu.

Sidestepping Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader, senior leaders of the party held this council last Saturday. They are calling it the party’s “10th council.” In it, Anisul Islam Mahmud was elected chairman and Ruhul Amin Howlader general secretary.

Anisul Islam Mahmud and his associates are claiming that their committee represents the “mainstream” Jatiya Party. Stating that the council was “constitutionally valid,” they argue that only their committee has the legal right to use the plough (Langol) electoral symbol.

However, in the letter, they left it up to the Election Commission to settle the matter.

The letter, titled “The newly elected leadership following the 10th Jatiya Party Council,” was addressed to the EC secretary.

It stated that on 9 August, at a community centre in Gulshan, nearly 5,000 councillors from across the country took part in the council and elected four individuals to the top positions of the central executive committee through voice vote. Updated information will be provided to the Commission soon.

However, given the “exclusive authority” granted to the chairman in the Jatiya Party’s constitution, there is uncertainty over whether the EC will accept this application.

EC officials say that, as of now, GM Quader’s faction is registered with the Commission and holds the plough symbol. Therefore, councils held by anyone else are not supposed to be recognised. Still, they noted that any application submitted is placed before the Commission, which then discusses and resolves the issue.

On 7 July, GM Quader had removed then Senior Co–Chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud, Co–Chairman ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, General Secretary Mujibul Haque Chunnu, and 10 other leaders from the party.

Later, when the removed leaders sought legal recourse, on 31 July, a court imposed a temporary injunction on GM Quader and Joint Office Secretary Mahmud Alam from carrying out organisational activities. Following this, the dissident senior leaders held the recent national council without him.