JP leaders mull party reform

Lawmakers and senior leaders of Jatiya Party yesterday emphasised the need for reforms in the party to avoid absolute debacle in the next parliamentary elections.   
They made the observation at a joint meeting of JP lawmakers and presidium members at a convention centre in the city's Gulshan.
Some leaders held JP Chairman HM Ershad, who chaired the meeting, responsible for the current situation of the party, which has been reflected in the recently held upazila polls, sources present in the meeting said.
State Minister for Labour and Manpower Mujibul Haque Chunnu, State Minister for LGRD Moshiur Rahman Ranga, and lawmaker Salma Islam, among others, said Ershad's “unilateral” decisions had led the party to the current state, the sources added.
They also asked the JP chief to remove his personal staff involved in corruption.
The sources said that the JP boss had assured the leaders of consulting with them in future.  
This was the first meeting since the party held its last presidium meeting five months back. A total of 55 presidium members and lawmakers joined the five-hour long meeting.
Contacted, Golam Mosih, political secretary of opposition leader Raushan Ershad, said they had had friendly discussion with Ershad.
“Even some of us criticised the party chief for his previous wrong decisions,” he added.  
In his inaugural speech, Ershad said a total of 74 cases were filed against him after he left power in 1990. “And since then I was never a free politician, still I am not a free politician. But from now I will listen to all,” he said.
Newly appointed JP Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed said the party's central council was likely to be held in December.