Ranga, Bablu row in Parliament lobby

Jatiya Party leader Mashiur Rahman Ranga who was recently removed from the party’s presidium got into a row with Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu at Parliament’s lobby on Thursday.

Several eyewitnesses said the incident took place during Maghrib prayers break. Party chief HM Ershad and other members went to the lobby.

After Ershad left the lobby, Ranga and Bablu began talking in raised voices and the entrances to the lobby were closed.

Ershad and Raushon Ershad are locked in a battle over electing Kazi Firoz Rashid the deputy leader of opposition in Parliament.

On Wednesday, Ershad removed Ranga and Tajul Islam Chowdhury, known to be Raushon loyalists, from the presidium.

The duo has complained about this party issue to the prime minister.

At a press conference on Thursday, JP Secretary General Bablu criticised Tajul, at one point saying there were allegations of war crimes against the man.

Sources present at the lobby told bdnews24.com Ranga and Bablu were sitting across each other when Ranga began talking about his expulsion.

“If you want to throw someone out from the party you should talk to them. I’ve been in politics for so many years. How can you throw me out like this?” he told Bablu, according to a witness.

“I have a reputation among my electorate. How could you demean me in front of them like this?” he said.

Bablu tried to pass him off saying he did not know about this decision, but Ranga shouted him down, saying, “Shut up…you are behind all of this.”

The other expelled leader Tajul Chowdhury, who is the opposition chief whip, said, “Ranga is right. How can you expel someone without allowing them to explain themselves?”

“You cannot claim you don’t know,” he told Bablu. “I heard everything on TV.”

“The things you said on TV, is one word of it true? I have been elected to Parliament seven times. Me and Sheikh Selim (of Awami League) are the longest-serving MPs,” he said.

“You’re trying to sully my name because you didn’t become the deputy leader,” he alleged.

After the incident, JP MPs refused to comment openly about it.

One MP, seeking anonymity, said, “There was no conflict in our party. The problems began after electing Kazi Firoz to deputy leader of opposition. Ziauddin Bablu also wanted to take that post.”

He read out the relevant section in party constitution and said, “They elected the deputy leader in accordance with the constitution. Moreover, the way two leaders were removed was wrong.”