Jatiya Party ministers are yet to tender their resignation letters to the prime minister since the resignation drama unfolded five days back when JP Chairman HM Ershad declared his party would not take part in the next poll.
Ruhul Amin Hawlader, secretary general of JP, told reporters yesterday they would send resignation letters to the premier today by post as they failed to get the PM’s appointment.
However, he told the Dhaka Tribune at 8pm that he had given the resignation letter of six ministers and one adviser to one of his office staff but he does not know whether he (office staff) had sent those or not.
He also said if he did not send those letters they would be sent on Monday.
JP is buying time by lingering the resignation drama to bargain with the government, sources said.
Meanwhile, the ministers who were “forced” to resign will try to convince HM Ershad to join the 10th National Parliament Election, party insiders added.
HM Ershad still remains adamant that he would not join the election though some ministers including Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader are trying to use it for personal gain, a presidium member of JP wishing anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune.
They do not need the premier to submit their resignation as there is a separate wing to receive letters and other documents at the PM’s office, he added.
The confusion was created when Hawlader yesterday evening said they would send the resignation letters to the PM’s office by post.
The JP chairman directed his party ministers to resign from polls-time cabinet and withdraw their candidatures from the 10th National Parliament Election on Wednesday after his meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh.
On December 5 four ministers from JP, who were the members of polls-time cabinet, handed over their resignation letters to Ershad in reply to his call.
The ministers are Ruhul Amin Hawlader, GM Quader, Mujibul Haq Khan Chunnu, and Salma Islam.
However, Rowshan Ershad, Anisul Islam Mahmud, and Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, advisor to the prime minister has submitted their resignation letters to party Chief HM Ershad yesterday morning, after 5 days into his instruction.
Meanwhile, JP Chief HM Ershad said he would try to persuade BNP to join the polls if President Abdul Hamid initiated a move for a consensus.
While talking to waiting reporters the JP chief made the comment at 6am in the morning at his Baridhara residence, Ershad’s press secretary Sunil Shuvo Roy confirmed the Dhaka Tribune.
“But Awami League wants one-sided polls and they want to score a goal in an empty field,” Ershad said. “Can this be tolerated?”
“The main problem of the country is now Hasina. BNP is unwilling to participate in polls under her supervision,” he said.
In the late evening, Hawlader went to Bangabhaban to meet President Abdul Hamid. He told reporters: “Our chairman sent me to inquire about the present’s health condition following his medical check-up in Singapore.”
He said they also discussed the latest political situation, but did not discuss anything about their resignation from the cabinet.
However, Hawlader said they would not join today’s cabinet meeting.
Jatiya Party has hit the headlines in recent times with its unpredictable political flip-flop centring the upcoming elections.
In his latest move, Ershad said he would participate in the upcoming elections if all other parties join the fray. Earlier he said he would boycott polls.
In November, an interim cabinet was formed as per ruling Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s proposal for an “all-party” cabinet to oversee the upcoming polls.
