‘Quader, Chunnu left us like orphans’
Blaming Jatiyo Party Chairman GM Quader and Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu for the party's debacle in the January 7 national polls, JP's candidates and grassroots leaders said the duo "left them in polls race like orphans".
They also demanded that Quader and Chunnu ensure democracy and accountability within the party.
Several central leaders and around 133 grassroots leaders of JP who had contested in the national elections spoke during a views-exchange at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in Dhaka today.
Syed Abu Hossain Babla, a JP co-chairman who contested from Dhaka-4, presided over the meeting.
Many of the leaders alleged that the two top JP leaders did not stand beside them during the polls.
"We faced numerous problems and obstacles during the election, including ruling Awami League men threatening us. I called the party chairman and secretary general so many times for their instructions, but they didn't even receive my calls. They just left us in the polls race like orphans," said Johirul Islam, JP candidate from Sirajganj-1.
"JP chairman and secretary general didn't keep any of their promises during the election. The party got huge fund by selling nomination papers, but we didn't get a single taka from it to run our polls campaigns," said Abdul Baten, JP candidate from Munshiganj-3.
Another JP leader demanded to know where the money collected from selling nomination papers went.
"You [GM Quader] have no democratic values. You have not thought about the party's tested leaders during seat sharing. You embezzled party funds among yourselves. You will be held accountable for all these," said JP leader Yahiya Chowdhury.
"Despite being a party chief, GM Quader visited almost nowhere to help in the candidates' campaigns," he added.
"We want to see Jatiya Party strong and united," Babla said in his speech.
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