Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad on Wednesday said he would resign his post if the party demanded it at the party’s upcoming national council. He has announced that the council will be held in April.
Over the last week, Ershad appointed his brother GM Quader co-chairman of the party and ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader secretary general of the party, removing Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu from the latter post.
On Wednesday, a programme was organised at the party's Banani office to hand responsibility over to the newly appointed duo.
“Party leaders and activists will chose their chairman in the national council,” he told journalists at the party’s office.
Expressing anger at former secretary general Bablu, Ershad said: “When Bablu’s father was ill, I went to Bangkok to see his father at my own expense. I loved him like a child but he behaved selfishly.
“When I was in Rangpur, he declared my wife [Rawshan Ershad] acting chairman. That is why I relieved him from the post of secretary general.”
Praising newly appointed Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader, the former dictator said: “I relieved Hawlader of the post of secretary general two years ago but he did not harbour any anger for me.
“But the selfish Bablu misled my wife while I was away from Dhaka. He did this while I am still alive.”
"Sir knows best," said Opposition Chief Whip Tajul on who the party secretary general is
Explaining the logic of appointing GM Quader to co-chairmanship of the party, Ershad said: “I wanted to appoint Rawshan Ershad as co-chairman but she is now 76. When the next election is held in three years, she will be 79.
“I do not know how she will be at that time. I do not even know whether I will be able to walk at that time. During an election, one is required to travel around the country. Considering all this, I made GM Quader co-chairman.”
Describing GM Quader as an honest leader, Ershad said: “Though he [Quader] was a former commerce minister, I have to pay his family expenses every month.”
Contacted, Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu declined to comment.
Opposition Chief Whip and Jatiya Party presidium member Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday that the parliamentary committee of the party did not reject Ershad’s decisions on Tuesday.
He said the parliamentary committee merely disagreed with them.
“We did not say that we rejected the decisions. We requested Mr Erhsad to discuss with Rawshan Ershad Madam to finalise the decisions. That is all,” he said.
When asked who the secretary general of the party is, Tajul said: “Sir knows best. I will not comment.”
Pro-Rawshan leaders and activists seem to have backtracked from their stance on Tuesday when they appeared to be dominant.
Jatiya Party lawmaker Fakhrul Imam said developments were taking place almost every hour. “In this transition period, it is tough to make any comment.”
When asked who the secretary general of the party is, Imam said: “I do not know. We did not reject Mr Ershad’s proposal. We requested him to reconsider it.”