‘PM also the opposition leader in JS’

Jatiya Party Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu has claimed that as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the leader of the Parliament, in that sense, she was also the leader of the opposition party.

The JaPa leader made the remarks while addressing a press conference at the party’s Banani office in the capital on Thursday.

The press meet has been called in order to clear the party’s position on the ongoing crisis over electing the deputy leader of the opposition party in the parliament.

He said: “The top JaPa leaders met the prime minister today in order to inform her about the present situation of the party. “

Replying to a query, Bablu said: “As she is the leader of the parliament, we consider her as the opposition leader also. She is actually the all party’s leader and she should be informed about the ongoing crisis in the JaPa.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the JaPa Chairman HM Ershad relieved Moshiur Rahman Ranga and Tajul Islam from the position of presidium member of Jatiya Party “in a bid to accelerate party activities.”

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.

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.

Later, the two leaders met the PM. Kazi Feroz and Ruhul Amin Howlader also joined them and talked to the prime minister, though briefly.

On Tuesday, 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.