Dhaka, Sept 04 – Fighting has erupted in Jatiya Party (JP) over the appointment of opposition leader in parliament between sister-in-law Begum Raushan Ershad and brother-in-law GM Quader.
Both the followers of GM Quader and Begum Raushan Ershad demanded to appoint their leaders for the post.However, party co-chairman Raushan summoned a meeting at her Gulshan residence where only four lawmakers attended the meeting yesterday.
Meanwhile, two letters were sent to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, requesting her to make GM Quader and Begum Raushan Ershad the leader of the opposition in parliament from each group.
Some JP leaders apprehended that party likely to split over the leadership and the post of opposition leader in parliament.
Earlier on Tuesday, a group of Jatiya Party lawmakers submitted a letter signed by 15 MPs to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, requesting her to make GM Quader the leader of the opposition in parliament, while another letter also sent to Speaker requesting her to appoint party’s co-chairman Raushan Ershad for the same post yesterday.
Party presidium member Mujibul Haque Chunnu carried the letter to Speaker’s office over appointment of Raushan for the post.
Earlier on Tuesday, JP senior lawmaker Kazi Feroz Rashid along with four other MPs sent the letter to Speaker’s office over appointment of GM Quader as opposition leader in parliament.
The rift between the followers of Ershad’s younger brother GM Quader, also current JP chairman, and followers of Ershad’s wife Raushan Ershad for deputy leader of the opposition has now widened.
According to sources, lawmakers Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Fakhrul Imam, Liakaot Hossain Khoka and Raushan Ara Mannan attended yesterday’s meeting at Raushan’s residence.
The party co-chiarman Raushan has also summoned an emergency parliamentary meeting at her residence to be held today (Thursday).
There are 22 JP MPs in the current parliament. Of them, 15 MPs sided for Quader, while the remaining for Raushan for appointment of opposition leader in parliament, according to sources.
The position for leader of the opposition has been vacant since the death of JP chairman HM Ershad on July 14.
According to party sources, JP MPs sending a letter to make GM Quader leader of opposition is nothing but putting pressure on Raushan Ershad’s group.
However, the JP parliamentary party will sit for a meeting before the parliament goes into session on September 8 to select the opposition leader, he said.
After the meeting, they will send a letter to the Speaker regarding who to appoint as the leader of opposition in parliament. – Staff Reporter
