The Jatiya Party, which had broken up many times, was divided again. Co-chairman of Jatiya Party’s GM cadre section Kazi Feroz Rashid and Syed Abu Hossain Babla have officially joined this section under the leadership of party founder Hussain Muhammad Ershad’s wife Roshan Ershad.
Roshan Ershad introduced the two at a press conference held at his residence in Gulshan on Sunday (February 18). He mentioned, ‘Those who are on both sides of me today, they are the two sides of Bangladesh politics. Kazi Feroze Rashid and Syed Abu Hussain Babla are co-chairmen of Jatiya Party. These two leaders played a unique role for the establishment of Jatiya Party. They have endured jail-oppression, torture-torture for the Jatiya Party.’
GM Quader dismissed Kazi Feroz Rashid and Sunil Shubo Roy on January 12. Kazi Firoz Rashid stepped down before the 12th National Assembly elections held on January 7. Syed Abu Hossain Babla contested the election and lost.
In a press conference, Roshan Ershad said in a written statement, ‘I am grateful for the way you have supported me after assuming the responsibility of the chairman of the National Party.’
He said, ‘Our beloved organization Jatiya Party is now in disaster. In view of the demands of the leaders and activists to overcome this situation and to reorganize the party, I have taken over the responsibility of the party chairman. It has been announced to hold the party’s tenth national council on March 9.
He said that the term of organizing the conference of Jatiya Party has expired long ago.
It was informed in the press conference that Kazi Feroze Rashid will be the convener of Jatiya Party’s conference implementation committee until the completion of the 10th National Conference to be held on March 9. Co-convener Syed Abu Hossain Babla, joint-convener Golam Sarwar Milon, member secretary Shafiqul Islam Sentu and treasurer will be advocate Ziaul Haque Mridha.
To know any information about the organization of the party, General Secretary Kazi Md. Roshan requested direct contact with spokesperson Sunil Shubo Roy for any information regarding Mamunur Rashid and the media.
On January 28, Roshan Ershad announced himself as the chairman after expelling Jatiya Party (JPA) chairman GM Quader and general secretary Mujibul Haque Chunnu. On January 29, he said, they will hold a conference on March 2 at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital. Later, this date was again changed and the date of the conference was fixed on March 9.
Earlier, the leaders and activists of the Roshan section called the ’10th National Conference’ of the party on 26 November 2022 and withdrew from the conference on 30 October. Former ambassador Golam Masih was the member secretary of the conference implementation committee. However, the former ambassador said that he has no involvement in the upcoming council.
As the national party is divided
According to the Jatiya Party website, Hussain Muhammad Ershad founded a political party called ‘Jatiya Party’ on January 1, 1986. This group has broken up many times. Talking to the leaders of the party, it is known that there are already different parties with this name, who were in Ershad’s National Party at different times. In 1996, Anwar Hossain Manju formed a new party called Jatiya Party (Registered) focusing on supporting ‘Awami League’.
Before the elections in 2001, Najiur Rahman Manju formed another party called Jatiya Party-BJP (Registered). This part is headed by his son Andaliv Rahman Parth. Later on this section also breaks down. A new Jatiya Party-Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Registered) was created under the leadership of MA Matin.
From 2007 to 2014, the Jatiya Party also vacillated several times due to election-centric unrest. Even during Ershad’s lifetime there was a rift between GM Quader and Roshan Ershad. Roshan has also been referred to as the chairman several times. Recently Roshan Ershad was nominated as the ‘Chief Patton’ of the party by Jatiya Party. At present, the website of the team (part of GM) also mentions Roshan Ershad as the ‘main sponsor’.
Former Prime Minister Kazi Zafar Ahmed split in the Jatiya Party before the last 2014 elections. On December 20, 2013, he expelled Ershad in the Jatiya Press Club auditorium and announced the new Jatiya Party through the special council of the party. Currently, this section is in the anti-government movement led by unregistered and former minister Mustafa Jamal Haider.
Virtually now, the fifth phase of the Jatiya Party came forward under the leadership of Roshan Ershad. Five different ‘national parties’ will officially be active in the country through the conference on March 9. These are – Jatiya Party, Jatiya Party (Roshan), Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP-Perth), Jatiya Party (JP-Manju), Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar).
