Ershad writes to Raushon amidst power struggle in Jatiya Party

Amidst a power struggle in the Jatiya Party, the party chief, HM Ershad, says he made his brother GM Quader co-chairman with his wife Raushon Ershad’s consent.

In a letter attached to a party statement sent to the media on Sunday, Ershad addressed his wife Raushon with the words “My dear colleague”.

The letter was sent a day after Raushon issued a statement to say Ershad’s decisions to make Quader his successor and replace the party’s secretary general Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu with Ruhul Amin Howlader were ‘undemocratic’.

In reply, Ershad said in his letter that there was no scope to change his decisions.

He also thanked Raushon for confirming that she is not the acting chairperson of the party as claimed by Bablu.

Referring to Quader, he wrote, “You (Raushon) also agreed to make GM Quader the co-chairman of the party.”

Both Quader and Raushon are presidium members of the party.

Raushon had alleged that Ershad took the decisions about Quader and Bablu without consulting the party MPs and presidium members, which goes against the party rules.

Ershad said he replaced Bablu with Howlader because the former ‘tried to split’ the party by declaring Raushon acting chairperson.

For Bablu’s replacement, the deposed military dictator referred to Section 39 of the party’s constitution that gives the party chairperson the power to make any change without consulting anyone.

“I did not create the section. I did not write the charter myself. It was made by a committee and the Jatiya Party Council approved it,” he said.

“I want you (Raushon) to know that I have sacked Ziauddin Bablu from the post of secretary general for breaching rules. He announced you the acting chairperson in front of the media, and thus breached party rules. 

“It was a heinous conspiracy to split the party,” Ershad added.

He also said some of the presidium members who were speaking against the section had been appointed under the very section.

He ended the letter saying “I am sorry I could not consider your proposal. I hope you, too, will consider the party’s overall condition.”

The former president had made Bablu the secretary general upon removing Hawlader a few months after the party took part in the general elections in 2014.

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Bablu is known to be a follower of Raushon, who is Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

Quader opted not to leave his brother's side when Ershad announced he would boycott the last general election.

Raushon went in the opposite direction.

Later, Ershad was whisked off to hospital by law enforcers in charge of his security due to ‘illness’ during the elections, but he ended up contesting the polls and winning.

He is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Special Envoy now.

Former minister Quader, on the other hand, lost his seat.

He was later warned by his brother for his 'offensive' remarks about Bablu in 2014.

During the elections, the party was practically led by Raushon. Bablu is said to have maintained the liaison with the Awami League at the time.

After taking charge as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Raushon said everything had happened with Ershad's 'consent'.