Manik Miazee
Former president Ershad on Thursday expelled Kazi Zafar for making frequent statements against him “violating the party charter”
Jatiya Party leader Kazi Zafar Ahmed, who had joined former military dictator HM Ershad’s cabinet dissolving his own party in 1980s and defended all his undemocratic steps, now says he was a victim of his political guru’s “autocracy.”
Former president Ershad on Thursday expelled Kazi Zafar for making frequent statements against him “violating the party charter.”
Ershad told reporters that he was the “all in all” of the Jatiya Party.
“Kazi Zafar is no more with the party. I have signed his expulsion order and it was already sent to him,” Ershad said.
At 2pm, only an hour after Ershad had expelled him, Kazi Zafar sent him a suspension letter claiming that he was the “all-in-all” of the Jatiya Party, not Ershad. But he also mentioned in the printed letter in handwriting that he had “expelled” the party chief.
Section 39 of JP charter says the party chairman can suspend from or induct anyone in his party without any consultation. “This section has made the Jatiya Party charter into an Ershad-tantra [rules of Ershad],” Kazi Zafar said.
One of the 42-member JP presidium body, Kazi Zafar said the section 37 authorised him to suspend the chairman by calling a special council of the party, which would soon approve the suspension order.
The section stipulates that if two-thirds of the presidium members agree, the chairman can be removed.
Kazi Zafar said: “You [Ershad] have continuously conducted talks with the BNP for the last one year and recently handed over a list of your choice of candidates twice for election. I do not have information on any such shameful incident in politics.
“If the party chief wants to suspend any person using his special powers, he will have to discuss it with the presidium members and have to submit a report before the presidium members why he has dismissed him/her,” Zafar said.
He also claimed a majority of the presidium members were with him and they would expel Ershad through the special council within a day or two.
“To save the party from Ershad’s undemocratic behaviour, I am ready to bring the issue before a court, if needed.”
Kazi Zafar has reportedly prepared a list of 42 presidium members, central leaders and MPs who are said to be loyal to him. The Dhaka Tribune has obtained the list.
Earlier on Saturday, Zafar claimed that his leader Ershad had betrayed the nation by joining the polls-time government.
“Ershad made the decision to join the interim cabinet without consulting the party’s highest policymaking body. Thus he made himself and those who joined the newly-formed cabinet unwanted,” Kazi Zafar said.
Kazi Zafar’s United Peoples’ Party (UPP) was a part of the BNP-led seven-party alliance when protests had been mounted against Ershad in the early 1980s. But he later left the alliance and joined Ershad’s cabinet under martial law regime. He served as commerce minister, deputy prime minister and finally as the prime minister under Ershad.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
