Moshiur Rahman Ranga, the state minister for local government, and opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury were removed from their Presidium posts in the party
The apparent collapse in Jatiya Party’s chain of command became more visible yesterday when JaPa chief HM Ershad removed two of his senior party leaders from their posts, reportedly because of their criticism of Ershad’s leadership.
Moshiur Rahman Ranga, the state minister for local government, and opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury were removed from their Presidium posts in the party.
The latest reshuffle in party ranks came as several other influential senior leaders reportedly continued to defy the decisions made by JaPa Chairman HM Ershad and Opposition Leader Raushan Ershad.
Ershad and Raushan’s difference of opinion on participating in the January 5 national poll reportedly weakened the party’s chain of command, allowing many of the leaders to publicly defy directives by their top leaders.
Party sources told the Dhaka Tribune that at a JaPa Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday, Ranga and Tajul criticised Ershad and said they would not follow the party chief’s unilateral decision. Ranga and Tajul made the remarks after Raushan asked the JaPa leaders who were also cabinet members to resign from the government, a decision that both Ershad and Raushan had agreed on.
Earlier, Ershad had announced that his party leaders would quit the cabinet. Following his announcement, Raushan had repeatedly asked three of JaPa’s cabinet members – one full minister and two state ministers – to step down from the government last week, but none of them paid heed to the request from their top two leaders.
Only a day after their criticism, Ershad relieved Ranga and Tajul from their Presidium duties. The party’s official statement, however, read: “They [Ranga and Tajul] were relieved from the position of Presidium members of JaPa in a bid to accelerate party activities.”
Ranga was also removed from the post of president of JaPa’s Rangpur district and Rangpur City Corporation committees, while Tajul was removed as the president of JaPa’s Kurigram district committee.
This was, however, not the first time the two leaders faced punitive actions from Ershad; they were both expelled by Ershad on two previous occasions but brought back to the party both times.
In his reaction to the decision, Tajul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “We will certainly step down from the government. But before that, he [Ershad] has to resign from the prime minister’s special adviser’s post.”
Meanwhile, Moshiur Rahman Ranga said: “As per the party’s article 39 of the charter, he [Ershad] can do everything except transforming a man into woman and vice versa. But I am not unhappy over his decision.”
When asked about whether he will resign from the party, Ranga said: “I am not a minister of Jatiya Party. So it is my personal decision.”
On the other hand, JaPa sources said some of the Presidium members were encouraged to violate party orders as the party discipline had gradually broken down since the dispute between Raushan and Ershad surrounding the national election.
A party insider, seeking anonymity, said more senior leaders might face the same consequences as Ranga and Tajul if they chose to stay with the government. Claiming that Ershad wanted to reclaim his grip on the party that he had lost after the January 5 polls, the source added that the JaPa chief was trying to compel other leaders to leave the government’s side in an attempt to strengthen his own hold on the party.
Disagreement on Kazi Feroz’s role
Jatiya Party’s top leadership has again been divided over the appointment of Kazi Feroz Rashid as the deputy leader of the opposition.
The latest disagreement occurred on Tuesday when Opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury sent a letter to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury to convey that the Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party had chosen Kazi Feroz as the deputy leader of the opposition.
However, only hours after the initial letter, Ershad sent a counter-letter to Shirin Sharmin, opposing Kazi Feroz Rashid’s appointment.
In the letter, Ershad said the appointment of the deputy leader of the opposition was his discretion, not the parliamentary party’s.
A similar disagreement came to light on July 27, when Raushan sent a letter to the speaker seeking nomination of Kazi Feroz Rashid as the deputy leader of the opposition. On the next day, Ershad sent a letter to the speaker opposing Raushan’s proposal.
Centring the issue, Ershad relieved Feroz Rashid from the Dhaka city committee.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
