Howlader to be investigated for alleged extortion over election nominations, says Ranga

Mashiur Rahman Ranga, who has been appointed the new secretary general of the Jatiya Party, says his predecessor ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader will be investigated over allegations that he used the party’s nominations for business.

Ranga made the remarks on Monday at a news conference at the political offices of party chief HM Ershad.

Ershad will also travel abroad ‘for a couple of days’ to receive advanced medical care, he said.

Several Jatiya Party nomination aspirants raised allegations that Howlader was charging exorbitant prices for nomination forms for the parliamentary election as Ershad ‘fell ill’ and was hospitalised.

Presidium member Ranga was brought in to replace Howlader in a surprise announcement on Monday after Howlader’s nomination for the Patuakhali-1 seat was dismissed by the Election Commission.

The decision was made with Ershad's endorsement, said Press Secretary Sunil Shuvo Roy.

Ranga, a member of parliament from Rangpur, is a State Minister under the current Awami League government. He heads the Rangpur district and metropolitan units of the Jatiya Party. He is also President of Bangladesh Road Transport Association, the largest organisation of transport owners.

“There is truth and falsehood in these allegations,” Ranga said in his first media conference since becoming the secretary general.

“The Jatiya Party Presidium members discussed the matter last night. If these allegations are proven, the Jatiya Party will take action according to our regulations.”

HM Ershad and ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader face allegations of taking 'big money' in return for Jatiya Party nominations.

A committee of senior party leaders will be formed to probe the matter, he said.

Ranga added the party will act if the accusers made written complaints.

The party has not officially assigned any reason to Howlader's ouster.

“He (Howlader) will tell you why the honourable chairman has relieved him of his duty. Maybe he had himself wanted it,” Ranga said.

When several aspirants alleged that Ershad and Howlader had taken 'big money' in return for handing nomination for the election, Howlader refuted the allegations, saying the accusers themselves “had taken money from someone else to mar the party’s image”.

Ranga also said “an evil force” permeates the party whenever it gets organised before elections.

Referring to his own career in the party, during which “he had been ousted thrice but had not left”, Ranga urged the leaders and activists who had left the party for the “extortion over nominations” to come back.

“The chairman loves you like his own children. Please return and don’t get angry about his father-like rebukes,” he said.

Ershad appointed Howlader as secretary general in 2001 after Anwar Hossain Manju broke away from the party.

Howlader was removed from the post on Apr 10, 2013 amid a power struggle within the party, but he was reinstated on Jan 19, 2016.

Ershad had recently praised Howlader’s loyalty and voiced his discontent with other party leaders in September.

Earlier last month, Howlader had attempted to clear the air about rumours surrounding Ershad’s illness and admission to a hospital ahead of the elections, referring to the rumours about the Jatiya Party chief’s treatment at the CMH in the lead-up to the 2014 polls.

Ranga, the new secretary general, said the count of haemoglobin in Ershad’s blood has “dropped to 10 while the normal level is 12”.

“He has become weak. I visited him this morning. The doctors have checked him. He may go abroad in a day or two for advanced medical treatment,” Ranga added.  

The Jatiya Party has allied itself with the Awami League ahead of the polls and will contest under the umbrella of the ruling party-led Grand Alliance.

They are yet to confirm which party will contest for how many seats, and Ranga said this “uncertainty” has caused anger among the Jatiya Party rank and file.

“We should have known who our candidates are at least three months ago. Many have already spent a lot of money thinking they were candidates. We don’t want to damage their image,” he said.