JP decides to act as opposition in parliament: Ershad

The Daily Star January 04, 2019

JP decides to act as opposition in parliament: Ershad

No JP MPs-elect will be included in the cabinet

Star Online Report

Jatiya Party (JP) today decided that it would act as the main opposition party in the parliament with 22 lawmakers elected in the December 30 national election.

“As chairman of Jatiya Party, I would like to inform my party’s rank and file and the countrymen that we will act as the main opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad,” JP Chairman HM Ershad said in a press release.

According to the release, JP chief Ershad will act as the main leader of the opposition in the House and Golam Mohammad Quader, co-chairman of the party, will act as the deputy leader of the opposition.

The press release signed by the party chairman said no lawmakers of the party would be included in the cabinet of the new government.

In press release, Ershad did not mention anything about Raushon Ershad, the chairman’s wife who was leader of the opposition in the previous parliament.

READ MORE: No opposition needed!

The development came a day GM Quader announced the party’s decision to join the government of Awami League.

“Since we participated in the election under the banner of the Awami League-led grand alliance, we want to join the government. Who will sit on the opposition bench is not our concern,” he told journalists after a meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban yesterday.

ELECTION RESULT

In the December 30 polls, the AL-led grand alliance secured 288 seats. JP, a key component of the alliance, bagged 22 seats. The BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront managed to win only seven seats while independent candidates won three.