Ending weeklong series of drama and tension in the main opposition party in parliament, Jatiya Party senior co-chairman Raushan Ershad has been made Leader of the Opposition while its chairman GM Quader as deputy leader of the opposition.

The parliament secretariat today published a gazette recognising Raushan and Quader as opposition leader and deputy leader of the opposition respectively following Speaker Sharmin Chaudhury’s consent.

As per the understanding between Raushan and Quader faction on Saturday night, the JP chairman on Sunday sent a letter to the Speaker requesting her to make him deputy opposition leader and Raushan, the opposition leader.

Earlier on Sunday, the Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party in its meeting formally selected Raushan as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

The weeklong drama and tension in post-Ershad JP intensified on September 3, the day, GM Quader sent a letter to the Speaker, requesting her to make him the Leader of the Opposition.

He claimed that 15 JP lawmakers backed him for the post. The JP has 25 lawmakers.

The following day, Raushan, also deputy leader of the opposition, sent another letter to the Speaker, urging her not to accept Quader’s request.

On September 5, Raushan was declared JP chairperson as the rift between her and GM Quader over the party leadership and post of Leader of the Opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad deepens.

Flanked by a section of JP leaders and MPs, senior presidium member Anisul Islam Mahmud, also a lawmaker, made the announcement at a press conference in Raushan’s Gulshan residence.

Raushan, who was present there, said JP leaders were worried about the party. “They also fear that the party is going to split up like it did in the past. But I want to run the party together, with all.”

The announcement exposes the turmoil in JP sans HM Ershad, who died on July 14 after prolonged bouts of illness.

Hours after the Raushan faction’s press conference, Quader held a briefing at the party’s Banani office and said action would be taken against those who declared Raushan the JP chief.

He said that according to the party charter, he is still the chairman.

On July 18, JP Secretary General Moshiur Rahman Ranga formally announced that Quader was the JP chairman.

Four days later, Raushan in a statement said Quader could not be declared the chairman without any decision made at party forums. She said she did not accept Quader as the chairman.

On September 7, the two feuding factions of Jatiya Party patched things up and decided that party Chairman GM Quader would remain in his post and Raushan Ershad would become the Leader of the Opposition in parliament.

Representatives of the two factions met at a city hotel to reach an understanding.

Meanwhile, Quader yesterday at a press conference at his Banani office said there is no division in JP at present as the JP leaders and activists are working united to strengthen the party to go to power.

Jatiya Party Senior Co-Chairman Raushan Ershad today said she “does not accept GM Quader as chairman of the party”.

Raushan, also deputy leader of the opposition in the parliament, made the claim in a press release in her official pad this noon. However, there was no initial of Raushan Ershad in the press release.

The Daily Star could not prove the authenticity of the press release as Raushan did not receive phone calls.

However, some pro-Raushan JP leaders including JP MP Fakhrul Imam said it was Raushan’s press release.

In the press release, Raushan said opinion from the party’s presidium members was not taken before making GM Quader as chairman of the party.

Amid rift over the top leadership in the party, GM Quader, younger brother of HM Ershad took the helm of the party on July 18.

Raushan and a section of JP senior leaders were not present at the programme where Quader was introduced as the new chairman of the party after the demise of HM Ershad who died at Dhaka Combined Military Hospital on July 14. 

In the press release, Raushan said, “I came to know from different news media that Jatiya Party’s acting chairman GM Quader has been made its chairman. But, I think, the decision has not been taken through discussion in any meeting of the party forum properly.”

She expects that the acting chairman of the party would discharge his duty according to the party charter until the chairman of the party is appointed.

In the release, Raushan said that many senior leaders of the party expressed their solidarities to her in this regard.

Names of nine JP senior leaders apart from Raushan were mentioned in the press release.

They are: JP Presidium Members--Anisul Islam Mahmud, Fakhrul Imam, Salim Osman, Narsin Jahan Ratna MP, Prof Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury MP, Mir Abdus Sabur Asud and Delwar Hossain, lawmakers--Raushan Ara Mannan and Leakoat Hossain Khoka.

Talking to The Daily Star, lawmaker Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury, also a founding presidium member of JP said she does not know anything about the release and she also didn’t sign in it.

“I don’t know how my name came in the release. I was not informed anything about the release,” she said. 

Meanwhile, talking to reports at a press conference at the JP Chairman’s Banani office, JP Chief GM Quader said, “The press release was handwritten and immature. It seems unacceptable and unbelievable.”

Quader dismissed the authenticity of the press release and said there is no rift inside the party over the leadership issue and it is carrying out its political activities unitedly.

“Hussain Muhammad Ershad was a fatherly person while Raushan was motherly in our family. And I was working as acting chairman of Jatiya Party in line with the directives of Pallibandhu HM Ershad. Now I am working as the party's chairman as per his direction,” he said.

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad is recovering quickly and his health is being considered much better today, the party’s acting Chairman GM Quader said quoting his physicians.

A few tests have been run on HM Ershad and his treatment is going accordingly, GM Quader said expressing his satisfaction over Ershad’s treatment at Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

The JP chairman was admitted to the CMH on June 27 with old age complications.

Since formation of the current parliament following the December 30 national election, Ershad, who is the leader of the opposition as president of Jatiya Party, could attend the maiden session only once due to illness.

The five-time MP flew to Singapore’s National University Hospital for medical treatment on January 20 and returned to the country on February 4. Since then he had been visiting the CMH regularly for health check-ups, said Shunil.

He was last seen at a public gathering in May when he attended an iftar mahfil arranged by his brother GM Quader at The Westin in Dhaka.