Separate letters sent to EC: Conflict returns to Japa again over election

Staff Reporter :
Conflict has returned to Jatiya Party again between its Chairman Golam Mohammad Quader and Chief Patron Raushan Ershad as both of them wanted to secure the highest commanding position ahead of the ensuing parliament election.

The Jatiya Party on Saturday sent two separate letters to the Election Commission claiming the power of distributing party nominations and symbols among the aspirant candidates of the upcoming general elections.

One of the letters signed by JP Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu said Party Chairman GM Quader will decide on the matter while the other letter claimed Raushan Ershad will make the final decision.

In his letter Mujibul Haque Chunnu said, “The symbols and candidate nominations will be decided by our party chairman Golam Mohammad Quader.”

Meanwhile, Raushan Ershad said in her letter, “We will participate in the elections in an alliance with the Awami League…But we will make our decisions independently after the polls.”

Raushan Earshad, also the wife of JP founder Ershad, signed her letter as the “Leader of the opposition,” a position she currently holds.

The EC officials said that it will make a decision in this regard and that will be considered final.

Trashing Raushan Ershad’s letter, Jatiya Party presidium member and mayor of Rangpur City Corporation Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa said the party no longer wished to be known as a broker for someone else’s path to success.

While speaking at a joint staff meeting of the party, Mostafa said Raushan had no authority to take any decisions.

“We are waiting for the central decision, of party Chairman GM Quader. We are ready to implement that at the field level. For this, everyone has been instructed to prepare for either agitation or the elections,” he said.

Mostafa also said the 22 seats of Rangpur region, the stronghold of the party, would not be given to any other party.

Earlier, Mujibul Haque Chunnu told journalists that as there were no visible efforts to hold political dialogue party would decide within a couple of days whether it would join the next national election or not.