Staff Reporter :
At least 671 leaders of the Jatiyo Party’s Dhaka metropolitan unit have resigned, citing grievances against party Chairman GM Quader and General Secretary Mujibul Haque Chunnu.
The JaPa leaders announced the mass resignation at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club on Thursday (25 January).
Leaders and activists under various police stations in Dhaka, including Hatirjheel, Sherebangla Nagar, Mohammadpur, Adabar, Pallabi, Mirpur, Badda, Rupnagar, Darus Salam, and Cantonment, participated in the press conference.
Presidents and general secretaries under these police stations voiced their concerns, emphasizing the need for the resignation of the general secretary of the party.
In a written statement, Jatiyo Party Vice Chairman Md Jahangir Alam Pathan said, “We, the loyalists of party founder HM Ershad, do not want to witness the destruction of Jatiyo Party under the leadership of GM Quader. Therefore, today (Thursday), we declare mass resignation from the party.”
Attributing the party’s significant downfall in the 12th national election to the arbitrary actions of the party’s top leaders, Jahangir Alam said committed leaders and activists of the Jatiyo Party protested the chairman and general secretary’s failures and demanded their resignation.
“Despite the party’s dire state, the chairman has been expelling the dedicated leaders one after one, setting a distressing example. His actions seem to be part of a plot to erase the legacy of Palli Bandhu Ershad,” he added.
Expelled Jatiyo Party presidium member Md Shafiqul Islam Sentu, Sunil Shuvo Roy along with the leaders of different units of Dhaka metropolitan city were present at the press conference.
Addressing the briefing, the party leaders said speaking the truth in the party was discouraged, and those who did so faced expulsion.
Mentioning that they chose to part way, the JaPa leaders said they aimed to rebuild the foundation of the party. The group claims support for Ershad’s ideals and vows to move forward under his banner.
“Mujibul Haque Chunnu has destroyed the party, excluding Raushan Ershad and Saad Ershad from the election. Without the Ershad family, there seems to be no Jatiyo Party politics,” Mir Sirajul Islam, organising secretary of the Jatiyo Chatra Samaj, student wing of the Jatiyo Party, said at the media briefing.
On 10 January, a number of JaPa leaders and activists appeared in the party chairman’s Banani office in Dhaka to hold a protest programme demanding the ousting of GM Quader, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, and co-chairmen Anisul Islam Mahsud and Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan. Following the protests, Jatiyo Party relieved its co-chairman Kazi Firoz Rashid, presidium member Sunil Shuvo Roy, presidium member Shafiqul Islam and vice chairman Yahiya Chowdhury of all party posts. JaPa fielded candidates for 265 seats in the election and won only 11 despite a seat-sharing agreement with the AL for 26 seats. The party had 22 seats in the 11th Parliament.
