Strife in JP over new committee
A feud in the Ershad family is once again troubling the Jatiya Party as Eric Ershad, son of JP's founding chairman HM Ershad, has unveiled a new committee of the main opposition in parliament.
At a milad mahfil, marking Ershad's second death anniversary on Wednesday, Eric announced that Raushan Ershad is the lifetime chairperson of the party.
At the mahfil, held at Ershad's President Park residence in the capital's Baridhara, Eric also announced that his mother, Bidisha Ershad, and Ershad's other son Rahgir Al-Mahi, lawmaker from Rangpur-3, are co-chairpersons, adding that Kazi Mamunur Rashid, chairman of the Ershad Trust, is the secretary general of the new JP committee.
Raushan was not present at the milad mahfil organised by the Ershad Trust.
Rahgir Al-Mahi, who was present at the programme, said he didn't attend the mahfil to make any political statements but to just seek blessings for his mother Raushan Ershad – the leader of the opposition in parliament.
"When my father was ill, my uncle GM Quader forced him [HM Ershad] to make him the party's chairman," Eric said.
The mahfil was presided over by Kazi Mamunur Rashid. Bidisha, and other JP leaders such as Delwar Hossain Khan, Jafar Iqbal Siddiqui also spoke.
After the mahfil ended, JP leaders and members greeted the new committee announced by Eric, now aged 20.
However, discussions are going on at different levels of the party, following Eric's announcement.
Party insiders said Bidisha and Kazi Mamunur, along with a section of leaders, are involved in the decision of the new committee as they don't want to see GM Quader at the helm of JP.
Meanwhile, GM Quader, at a programme in the capital yesterday, said a child could not declare the formation of a political party.
"There are laws and different policies to form a political party. Besides, without talking to Begum Raushan Ershad, the main patron of the Jatiya Party, how reasonable is it to announce her as the chairman and publish such news in the media?"
He added that the media should have talked to Raushan Ershad before publishing the news.
The JP chief further said they are not giving any importance to the matter and that Eric's announcement will not impact the party.
Claiming that he had spoken to Raushan Ershad over phone on Wednesday, he said, "She made it clear that she has no desire to be the party chairperson. She also praised various initiatives taken under its present leadership to strengthen the Jatiya Party."
The JP issued a press release that night with Raushan's statement.
Raushan could not be reached for comments.
At a press conference on July 8, Eric said the allegations of money laundering against him and his mother Bidisha were baseless, alleging that his uncle, Quader, was involved in the conspiracy.
"There is no evidence that we laundered money. But he [Quader] is still spreading propaganda.
"My uncle GM Quader will be responsible if anything happens to me and my mother."
On the other hand, JP leaders said they were embarrassed with the latest unrest within the organisation.