'Conspiracy theory' behind JaPa’s sudden changes

Recent and sudden changes in Jatiya Party have given rise to a spate of conspiracy theories, with a section of senior leaders, backed by the government, reportedly influencing Ershad to remove GM Quader as the party’s co-chairman and the opposition’s deputy leader in parliament.

The senior leaders are said to be taking full advantage of party chief HM Ershad’s ill health and, as in the past, are pushing his wife Raushan to the fore.

GM Quader came under fire for attending two programmes where the BNP secretary general and several leaders of Awami League and the 14-party alliance, who were not given cabinet posts this time, were present. Government quarters are projecting these as conspiratorial meetings.

On the night of 21 March, GM Quader was removed from the post of JaPa co-chairman, after he had attended the two programmes on two consecutive days before that. One was an informal reception held in Gulshan for the US ambassador and the British high commissioner. GM Quader had been invited to the event. Jatiya Oikya Front leader Kamal Hossain, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and others also attended the event. Also present was an Awami League member of parliament who had been a minister last time but was not included in the present cabinet.

The next day at a seminar in Hotel Sonargaon, Mirza Fakhrul and GM Quader sat side by side. The seminar was also attended by a visiting minister from China, JSD president Hasanul Huq Inu, Workers Party general secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha and other leftist leaders. The programme had been organised by former industries minister Dilip Barua.

Quarters within the government reportedly have eyed GM Quader’s proximity with the BNP secretary general at the seminar with suspicion. And this has gone in favour of the pro-Raushan senior leaders in JaPa.

Speaking to Prothom Alo about the matter, GM Quader said he had informed the JaPa chairman about the invitation in Gulshan and got his approval to attend. And it had been the organisers who had seated him by the BNP secretary general at the seminar in Sonargaon Hotel. He doesn’t believe these two events could be the reason for his being removed from his post. He said he is puzzled about being suddenly removed from his two positions.

On 1 January this year, JaPa chairman Ershad had declared his younger brother GM Quader to be his successor in the party and made him deputy leader of the opposition in parliament. Then all of a sudden on 21 March, he was removed from the post of party co-chairman on grounds of failing to run the party’s organisational activities and creating divisions within the party. On the same day he was also replaced by Raushan Ershad as deputy leader of the opposition.

It is speculated that Raushan and other senior leaders of the party are behind these sudden changes. In fact, many important leaders within the party had been avoiding GM Quader ever since he had been given the party’s organisational charge and made deputy leader of the opposition.

A week after his removal from the two posts, he was seen at a programme with Raushan Ershad. JaPa senior leader Anisul Islam Mahmud was seen at this party event after a long time. Raushan and Quader both spoke of party unity while addressing the anniversary of Jatiya Juba Sanghati.

The party’s senior co-chairman and deputy leader of opposition in parliament Raushan Ershad said that there were no rifts or conflicts in the party. They were all united under HM Ershad. GM Quader spoke on the same lines.

However, GM Quader has rejected the contention that he was removed from the posts due to failure in carrying out his duties. Speaking to Prothom Alo on Tuesday, he said, ‘I had been co-chairman for three years. There is the chairman and senior co-chairman above me. There were also two secretaries general, first Ruhul Amin Howladar and then, for the past three months, Mashiur Rahman.’ He said that when the chairman was abroad, he was made the acting chairman for 14 days. During this time, he had spent four days in Singapore with the chairman. ‘How did I fail in the remaining 10 days?’ he asked.

GM Quader insists he had carried out his duties duly as deputy leader of the opposition in parliament during the absence of opposition leader Ershad.

A senior leader of JaPa, on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that it was Ershad himself who had accused younger GM Quader of being failed in running organisational activities and of creating divisions within the party.

* This piece, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Ayesha Kabir