Everyone is acting at my behest: Ershad

Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman H M Ershad has said there is no rift in his party even as party leaders talked about internal feud publically.

On Sunday, he joined the parliament session, but did not take part in the parliamentary committee meeting of the JP, claiming to be ill.

His and some senior leaders’ absence in JP parliamentary meeting led by Raushon Ershad sparked fresh debate in the media about the rift in the party.

Ershad, however, trashed such news reports and claimed that all JP leaders and activists were working upon his instructions.

Ershad tried to clear JP’s stand amid speculations about the rift within the party by issuing a statement on Monday.

In the statement, he said, “I’m the founding chairman of this party. I’ve been working hard to lead the party to form govt.

There is no scope for schism in the party and there is no feud in the party. Party activists are acting as per my instructions.”

State minister and presidium member Mujibul Haq Chunnu Sundayclaimed that there were ‘lot of troubles’ in the JP.

Ershad recently removed state minister Mashiur Rahman Ranga and opposition chief whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury from JP’s top advising body.

The duo incurred Ershad's wrath after they had urged him to resign from the post of the prime minister's special envoy.

Ershad had earlier said the resignations of his party's ministers from the Cabinet were being discussed.

Ershad said in the statement, “As per the JP constitution, I dropped the two presidium members. I’m entitled to do that. There is no scope for conflict in the party because of this decision.”

Mashiur Rahman Ranga and Tajul engaged into an acrimonious debate with Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu in front of the journalists at Parliament’s lobby on Thursday.

Like Ershad, Bablu and Water Resource Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud also abstained from parliamentary committee meeting. The two were at Ershad’s office during the meeting.

On his absence at the meeting, Ershad said, “First, I had gone to CMH for a check up. By the time I reached parliament at 5 pm, the meeting was over.”

Ershad also refuted news reports that he had held secret meetings with seven JP MPs at his parliament room when the JP parliamentary meeting, chaired by Raushon, was on.

Apart from the issue of walking out of the cabinet, differences between Ershad and Raushon also surfaced over the selection of deputy opposition leader of the parliament.

Raushon chose Kazi Firoj Rashid for the role. Ershad, however, sent a letter to speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury requesting her not to appoint Firoj’s as deputy leader of the opposition.

JP took part the BNP-boycotted January 5 elections and became the Opposition in the 10th Parliament. Raushon became the opposition leader.

Ershad has already changed his earlier stance of quitting the cabinet and said, “We have not yet discussed it at the party forum. I told the journalists that the decision of JP’s staying in the cabinet rests on the presidium. Media published some confusing reports about it. I make it absolutely clear that the party forum will take the final call on the issue.”