The Jatiya Party is apparently on the verge of a split again, as a group of party leaders last night declared Raushan Ershad as its acting chairman, within 24 hours of Ershad's naming his younger brother GM Quader as its co-chairman.

A number of JP leaders and MPs have been opposing the chairman's decision, saying the party has no post of co-chair, according to insiders.

Keeping Ershad's wife Raushan Ershad at the forefront, Water Resources Minister and JP Presidium Member Anisul Islam Mahmud and JP Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu MP are leading the dissident group with the “blessings of the government”, the insiders told this newspaper.  

Ershad on Sunday also named JP presidium members GM Quader and ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader as convener and member secretary of the party's central council preparation committee.

The dissidents interpreted Ershad's decisions as indications that his brother is going to be the next chairman, added sources.  

Ershad, aged around 86, left the capital on Sunday for a three-day visit to Rangpur. He is scheduled to return Dhaka today.

“Raushan cannot do this,” Ershad told reporters in Rangpur. Without the consent of chairman, a presidium meeting cannot be held, he added.

With Raushan in the chair, the JP dissidents sat in an emergency meeting at her Gulshan residence around 5:45pm yesterday. Out of 39 JP presidium members, 18 were present at the two-hour meeting, sources said.

According to JP Presidium Member and State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu, it was a joint meeting of JP presidium and JP parliamentary party. Out of 40 JP lawmakers, 30 participated in the meeting. “It means we are strong,” he said.

Raushan also convened a JP parliamentary party meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 3:30pm today, Chunnu told The Daily Star.

Emerging from yesterday's meeting, Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu in a briefing announced that Raushan is now the party's acting chairman.

Asked about the fate of the JP chairman, he said Ershad as the founding chair will remain with the party. Asked what would be Ershad's post, he refused to say anything.

Talking to The Daily Star later, Bablu said they took the decision for the sake of the party's unity.

On Ershad's announcement of making GM Quader co-chair, Bablu said there is no provision for co-chair in the party charter. Ershad made his younger brother the party co-chair and his successor without discussing it in any party forum, he claimed. 

Earlier at the briefing, he also said Ershad made GM Quader and Ruhul Amin Howlader president and secretary of the council preparation committee. “All this is the violation of the party constitution."

Contacted, a minister who was present at yesterday's meeting said “We don't want that Jatiya Party would split again. But we will have no alternative to expel Ershad from the party if he expels Raushan or any of the dissidents.” 

Contacted, GM Quader said it was totally illegal to declare Raushan as the party's acting chair as they don't have any authority to call a presidium meeting. "Only chairman has the authority to appoint someone acting chairman. Or, after the death of the party chief, one may take the charge for an interim period."

He claimed Raushan still is with Ershad.

Asked about his appointment as co-chair, he said according to the party constitution, the chairman has the right to do this and he would pass it through party council later. 

According to sources, Raushan last year opposed Bablu's becoming secretary general. Now she is sided with Babu and against Ershad and GM Quader.  

NOTHING NEW

The party is known to have split four times. The last time was when Kazi Zafar, a JP presidium member, “expelled” Ershad from the party for the decision to participate in January 5, 2014 election "betraying" the party men. 

Known for flip-flopping, Ershad however changed his position and announced that he won't take part in the “one-sided” polls. 

Defying this announcement, a group of JP leaders, including Anisul and Bablu, under the leadership of Raushan decided to participate in the election, boycotted by the BNP-led opposition and some other political parties.

On December 12, 2013, Ershad was allegedly picked up by members of an intelligence agency and taken to the Central Military Hospital in Dhaka under the Rab escort for “treatment”.

With Ershad still in hospital, the party took part in the polls. Raushan is now the leader of the opposition in parliament and Ershad the special envoy of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.    

The party also got polarised in the recent times over Ershad's statement that the three JP ministers should leave the cabinet to restore its “image among people as the real opposition party”.