Ershad appoints Raushan party's senior co-chair

In a dramatic move, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad last night appointed his wife and Leader of the Opposition Raushan Ershad as the party's senior co-chairman, a post that does not exist in the party's charter.

The JP chief made the decision a day after Raushan, also a senior presidium member of the party, met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

The announcement regarding Raushan's appointment was made in a press release. It means Raushan will be the party's second powerful person after Ershad.

Meanwhile, Raushan last night in a press release congratulated Ershad for making her JP senior co-chair.

In the release, she expressed hope that Ershad's latest move would make the party grassroots stronger.

On January 17, the JP boss appointed his younger brother GM Quader as the party's co-chairman in a bid to tighten his control on the party.

Aggrieved by Ershad's "unilateral decisions", a group of JP leaders, led by presidium member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, on the same day revolted against the party chief. To put pressure on Ershad, they declared Raushan the party's acting chairman, JP insiders said.

Since then, the Bablu-led group had been opposing Quader's appointment and was trying to make Raushan the party's senior co-chair to reduce Ershad's authority in the party, they added.

While formally giving new charge to his brother Quader, Ershad on January 20 had said he appointed Quader the party's co-chairman as his wife and he have become too old to run the party.

"I have taken opinions of the people of Rangpur, the stronghold of the party, and appointed GM Quader the co-chairman after taking the opinions into consideration," he had said.

On the same day, Ershad also removed Bablu, also secretary general of the party.

Ershad replaced Bablu with his loyalist Ruhul Amin Hawlader, who was JP secretary general for 12 years since 2002. Hawlader lost the post to Bablu in mid-2014.

Ershad had said he made the changes in the party's top leadership to restore confidence among its leaders and activists.