Several Awami League leaders are strongly against the proposition that the HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party (JaPa) should become a part of the government by joining the cabinet.
Awami League sources said most of the party’s policymakers are discouraging party President Sheikh Hasina from including JaPa in the cabinet. According to the sources, they have told Hasina it would be controversial and many people including BNP and Jamaat would use the decision as ammunition when criticising the government.
They also told her that such a form of government would be rare in the democracy and might lead to bad practices.
According to sources, a JaPa delegation led by Rawshan Ershad met Sheikh Hasina on Thursday to dicuss the formation of a government under mutual agreement. JaPa had requested the inclusion pf seven MPs from their party in the government.
A senior Awami League Leader who attended the meeting tried to dissuade Hasina from including JaPa in the government. Another leader told the prime minister not to sacrifice more than two ministries to them, sources said.
Newly elected MP and Awami League Presidium Member Mohammad Nasim told the Dhaka Tribune that the prime minister would like to form a government based on mutual agreement with the participation of all parties represented in the parliament.
“This is why JaPa may have a token participation in the government,” he added.
“Their representation might be in one or two posts, but how is it possible if they demand more than 5? My suggestion to Jatiya Party is to not join the government. Instead, it can play a vital role in the opposition,” he said.
Nasim said he believed the government would run better if JaPa played the role of a “real opposition” and that the popularity of JaPa would also increase if they assumed this position.
“And they will also get the anti-Awami League votes that were supposed to go to BNP who rejected them for being allies with Jamaat,” he explained.
Speaking at an event yesterday, Awami League Adviser Suranjit Sengupta claimed that the ruling party and the opposition exercised different roles in a democracy.
“The opposition desires to be a part of the cabinet as well. It means they want all the benefits for themselves,” he said.
“We hope it will not be something absurd in the name of a consensus government,” he said.
Awami League leader and Minister of the Interim Government Amir Hossain Amu said there was no scope for any party to be a part of the government and the opposition at the same time.