Manju leads 'dissident' JP team to JS

The 12th session of the country's Seventh Jatiya Sangsad that began yesterday witnessed a clear division in the Jatiya Party's parliamentary group.

Defying instruction of JP Chairman H M Ershad, 11 out of 33 party MPs joined yesterday's sitting of the parliament under the leadership of Communications Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, former general secretary of JP.

This is for the first time in the political history of Bangladesh that a parliamentary group of a political party got devided.

Other JP legislators who joined the sitting were Tajul Islam Chowdhury (Kurigram), Mustafizur Rahman (kurigram), Mohammad Golam Hossain (Kurigram), Sharfuddin Ahmed Jhantu (Rangpur), Noor Mohammad Mandal (Rangpur), Ahsan Ahmed (Nilfamari), Zulfiquqr Ali Bhuttoo (Jhalakathi), Golam Farook Ovi (Barisal), Tasmima Hossain (Perojpur) and Jinat Hossain (Chittagong).

Manju led the team to the House five minutes after the sitting began at 4:05 pm.

Earlier, he had a discussion with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Manju was expelled from the JP a few weeks ago.

JP chief Ershad who joined the four-party opposition alliance earlier issued instruction to his party lawmakers not to attend the opening sitting of the parliament's 12th session.

But Anwar Hossain Manju and his supports in the JP parliamentary group found the instruction illegal. "The decision was not made in the party's parliamentary wing," Manju told newsmen later at his Sangsad Bhavan office. "We are not slaves of anybody that we have to obey undemocratic decisions."

Claiming that the JP does not subscribe to negative politics of hartals and shut-downs that stands in the way of the country's social and economic development, he said: "JP would continue to remain an opposition party."

Replying to a question, Manju, flanked by the party's dissident MPs, said that they had not challenged the JP leadership. "But we feel it necessary to resist negative politics with whatever strength we have. We should do it for the sake of national interests."

When asked to comment on the rumour that a couple of JP dissidents would be inducted into the Sheikh Hasina's Cabinet soon, Manju quipped: "According to the Constitution, the Prime Minister is empowered to make anyone (minister) from among the members of parliament."

Tajul Islam Chowdhury, whose name is rumoured in this regard, said: I have no intention to become a minister. What I feel is that the government should be allowed to run the affairs of the state for a full five-year term.

Zinat Hossaion preferred to keep mum when she was asked who was now the leader of the JP's parliamentary group.