JPPP urges Ershad to discuss GM Quader, Hawlader’s appointments

Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party (JPPP) today called upon party chief HM Ershad to hold discussion in the party forum on the appointment of GM Quader and ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader as co-chairman and secretary general of JP respectively.

The JPPP came up with the decision hours after Ershad removed Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu as secretary general of the party and appointed Ruhul Amin Hawlader as the new secretary general.

READ MORE: Jatiya Party on the verge of splitting

Opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam said this while briefing the media about the outcome of the JPPP’s meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban this afternoon.

He said there are various opinions among the party’s lawmakers, ministers and presidium members over the latest development in the JP.

“We have urged our party chief HM Ershad to hold discussion in the party forum immediately to resolve the prevailing feud,” Tajul Islam said.

“In response to our request, the party chief informed us that he would hold a meeting after a discussion with Raushan Ershad,” Tajul said.

All 40 lawmakers including HM Ershad and Ruhul Amin Hawlader were present at the meeting that started 3:30pm with Raushan Ershad, leader of the opposition in parliament, in the chair. 

In a curious development, Ershad and Hawlader emerged from the meeting minutes before its ending and had a separate closed door between them. However, the outcome the meeting could not be known.

State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu, responding to a query by reporters, said, “Like you (journalists), we don’t know too who is the secretary general of Jatiya Party now.”

The JPPP meeting was called today amid rift inside the Jatiya Party.

The meeting comes in parity with an “emergency press conference” of the party’s Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad this afternoon.

The rift began with Ershad appointing his younger brother GM Quader as the co-chairman of Jatiya Party. The move displeased many leaders as they took it as an indication of Quader being the next chairman of Jatiya Party.

On the other hand, splitting is nothing new for Jatiya Party. It has already split four times with the last one of Kazi Zafar Ahmed “expelling” Ershad and joining hands with BNP.

Ershad, who is currently a special envoy of the prime minister, is also a known chameleon character who flip-flopped went back on his words countless times.