Jatiya Party still undecided whether to remain ‘domesticated’ opposition

The same old question is haunting the Jatiya Party – should it continue as the “domesticated” opposition in parliament amid a “power struggle” after the election or not.

The leaders of HM Ershad’s party are yet to reach a consensus on the issue three days after the general election.

The party workers shouted slogans outside its Banani offices in Dhaka on Wednesday, demanding a fully-fledged opposition role without any stakes in the government.

Co-Chairman GM Quader said they would make the decision taking into account the political situation on the whole.

Chairman Ershad and Senior Co-Chairman Raushon Ershad did not attend the meeting that took place before Quader briefed the media.

Quader said Ershad was ill but did not say why Raushon was absent.

He also said the Jatiya Party would finalise the decision on the issue in a meeting of its parliamentary party after the new MPs take oath on Thursday.

There is no confirmation whether Ershad and Raushon will join the meeting.

The meeting came a day after the former president tried to install his brother Quader as his successor in the party around three years after a similar attempt had failed in the face of staunch opposition by Raushon’s supporters in the party.

Days after declaring Quader as his heir by promoting him from the presidium to the post of co-chairman in the beginning of 2016, Ershad had to promote his wife too.

The Jatiya Party contested in the 2008 election under the Awami League-led alliance, but became the main opposition in parliament after much drama during the last general election boycotted by the BNP and its allies in 2014.

The BNP and its partners joined the election this time, but managed only a few seats that are far less than those won by the Jatiya Party and are not enough to become the main opposition.

The Awami League has always been effusive in its praise for the Jatiya Party’s “constructive criticism” in parliament in the past five years.

But the Jatiya Party was widely criticised for its failure to hold the government to account. Transparency International, Bangladesh in a report said the Jatiya Party played “ineffective dual role” by letting its leaders become ministers while at the same time it was the opposition. 

The BNP even termed the Jatiya Party “domesticated” opposition in parliament.

Raushon, the leader of the opposition in parliament, had asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to “save the image of the Jatiya Party” by withdrawing its ministers over four years after being the opposition in parliament.

Ershad had often threatened to leave the government as well. He had termed 'shameful' having its leaders as ministers despite being the opposition in parliament, and said the Jatiya Party ministers would resign if Hasina allowed them to do so.

Before the election this time, Ershad had said they wanted to return to parliament by winning the election, not as the “domesticated” opposition.

At its founding anniversary programme on Tuesday after the election, Jatiya Party leaders said they want to be an effective opposition in parliament.

They voiced the same intention in the presidium meeting on Wednesday.

Joint secretaries general Zahirul Alam Rubel and Golam Md Raju said the party has gained nothing by getting into the Grand Alliance.

Both the leaders believe they will face a “serious image crisis” if their leaders join the Awami League government’s cabinet even after becoming the main opposition again.

Vice-chairmen Bahauddin Ahmed Babul and Rowshan Ara Mannan are also unhappy about the party’s position.

They said the Jatiya Party cannot continue if it has to always rely on the Awami League.