Debates likely on unilateral changes, MPs in cabinet

Recent unilateral appointments and a removal at top posts and the issue over whether three Jatiya Party (JP) lawmakers will stay in the cabinet are likely to dominate a meeting of the party's presidium at the Banani office in the morning today, convened by Chairman HM Ershad yesterday.

At a JP meeting in Rangpur on January 17, Ershad suddenly announced appointing his younger brother GM Quader as his second-in-command, the co-chairman, a post non-existent in the party's charter.

Rejecting this, lawmaker Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu and a group of dissidents the next day announced that Ershad's wife Raushan Ershad was the acting chairperson, which too did not exist.

Apparently aggrieved, Ershad on January 19 replaced Bablu with lawmaker Ruhul Amin Hawlader in the secretary general post, creating more division in the main opposition in parliament.

That day, JP parliamentary party at a meeting with Raushan in the chair called upon Ershad to hold the meeting of JP's highest policymaking body to take a final decision on the changes.

Moreover, a Raushan-led group, including Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud and state ministers Mujibul Haque Chunnu and Moshiur Rahman Ranga, called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in parliament last Thursday.

Party insiders told The Daily Star last night that this group is likely to raise questions over the appointments.

A JP leader hinted at their disapproval of Quader as the co-chair and next chief since he has been criticising the January 5 election and the present parliament.

Another cabinet member from JP said Quader's appointment was totally against democratic norms. "We will definitely speak out against the move," he added.

Ershad and Quader have been pressing the three JP lawmakers to quit the cabinet, saying it would restore JP's image as people were starting to believe that JP was a part of the government.

State Minister for Labour Mujibul, visiting his constituency yesterday, said for now, there was no possibility that he and the two others would quit and that JP was yet to take any decision.

Talking to journalists after a programme at Kishoreganj Gurudoyal Government College, he said, "The issue might be discussed in tomorrow's presidium meeting...We will accept whatever the party's presidium and parliamentary party decides on."

The JP presidium member said they were organising JP with the various scopes being provided by the government and that JP wants to cooperate in all good activities of the government and protest those going against the people.

The Raushan-led group also argues that it would be too early for the three to quit.

A JP leader said quitting would put JP's 40 lawmakers in trouble from the ruling Awami League men. 

"Without the blessings of the Awami League government, Jatiya Party men will not be able to do politics in their areas. No Jatiya Party leader except two to three will be able to win in the next national election unless we form an alliance with Awami League," said a JP MP.

"Therefore, why will we quit the cabinet annoying the government," he said.