Who to lead Jatiya Party in parliament? Still undecided

Jatiya Party MPs are yet to reach a decision on who should lead their party in parliament.

The party's leaders are also undecided on whether it will form the main opposition like it did after the 2014 election.

On Thursday, 21 newly-elected Jatiya Party MPs took their oaths of office in the absence of party chairman HM Ershad.

The MPs then held a closed-door meeting in the parliament office of the Leader of the Opposition Raushon Ershad, who is senior co-chairman of the Jatiya Party.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Jatiya Party co-chairman GM Quader said, “We couldn’t reach a decision today. We’ll meet again to finalise our decision.”

On Wednesday, Jatiya Party Secretary General Moshiur Rahman Ranga said the party’s parliamentary committee would hold a meeting after the oath-taking ceremony on Thursday to decide on the party’s role in parliament.

“We don’t mind being part of the government or forming the opposition. Our MPs have unanimously decided to remain in the Grand Alliance to serve the interests of the people,” said Ranga.

The Grand Alliance won a total 288 seats in parliament in the Dec 30 national elections. The Jatiya Party leaders took 22 seats in the polls. 

“The people of the country elected 288 Grand Alliance candidates to parliament. This means that the public don’t want a big opposition. They’re satisfied with the workings of the Grand Alliance which is why they elected us in that many constituencies.”

ERSHAD YET TO TAKE OATH

Among the 22 Jatiya Party MPs who were elected in the 11th parliamentary elections, only Ershad was absent from the oath-taking ceremony "due to his illness" on Thursday.

The former military strongman would take his oath at the speaker’s office in the evening on Thursday, the parliament secretariat had earlier said.

But his younger brother and party co-chairman GM Quader later said that Ershad will not be take oath of office on Thursday.

“He might take his oath in the next three or four days. And if that’s not the case, the chairman will take it within the time stipulated for doing so,” said GM Quader.