Raushan announces herself as JaPa chairman

Jatiya Party chief patron Raushan Ershad has announced herself as the chairman of the party and Kazi Mamunur Rashid, a presidium member of the party, as the secretary general on Sunday.

In the same order, Raushan removed GM Quader and Mujibul Haque from their respective roles as chairman and secretary general.

Raushan Ershad announced the decision at a meeting to exchange views with the leaders and activists who were expelled, removed and resigned at different times. The meeting was organised at her Gulshan residence at around 12:45 pm.

“I hereby remove GM Quader and Mujibul Haque Chunnu from the Jatiya Party as per section 20 (1) of the party constitution,” she told the gathering.

Raushan Ershad further said Kazi Mamunur Rashid will take charge of the party’s organisational activities as the secretary general until the next council. “I can’t accept any damage to the party. The Jatiya Party has been going through a critical passage. GM Quader and Mujibul Haque Chunnu brought a great damage to the party.”

JaPa secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu, however, did not attach importance to the “removal” announcement. He told Prothom Alo, “We don’t give importance to these as these have occurred several times in the past. But they could not initiate any split in the Jatiya Party through such activities. What she has done is beyond her jurisdiction.”

Party’s removed presidium member Sunil Shuvo Roy, Shafiqul Islam and Kazi Mamunur Rashid, former presidium member Delwar Hossain Khan, former MP, Golar Sarwar Milon, Ziaul Haque Mridha, vice-chairman Amanat Hossain, Jahangir Alam, Nurul Haque, Khorshed Alam, vice-chairman and former MP, Yahiya Chowdhury, Jatiya Chhatra Samaj founding president Rafiqul Haque and son of HM Ershad, Saad Ershad were, among others, present at the meeting.

Before making any decision, removed presidium member Shafiqul Islam told Raushan Ershad, “We want to clean all the wastes within the party at your leadership. You will have to take the helm of JaPa. The party leaders and activists do not want to see GM Quader and Chunnu in the leadership positions. We want to see you as chairman from today.”

GM Quader is the younger brother of Jatiya Party’s founding chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad. There has been a long standing tension between GM Quader and Ershad’s wife Raushan Ershan, who announced herself as the party chairman earlier as well.

However, the tension between them grew immediately before the 12th parliamentary election, held on 7 January this year. As a result, Raushan Ershan and her son Rahgir Almahi Ershad did not take part in the election.

Following the election, a section of the party leaders and activists raised questions over the role of GM Quader.