Quader dumps Chunnu, appoints Shamim Patwary as JP Secy Gen 

Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman Golam Mohammad (GM) Quader removed Mujibul Haque Chunnu from the post of Secretary General and appointed Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary in his place invoking the controversial Article 20(a) of the party's constitution that grants sweeping powers to the Chairman.

The development was officially confirmed by Press Secretary to the Party Chairman Khandaker Delwar Jalali on Monday. "Shamim Haider Patwary has been appointed as the new Secretary General," he said adding that the decision was made under constitutional authority vested in the party chief. 

The abrupt replacement of Chunnu follows weeks of mounting tensions within the JP's upper echelons particularly over the convening of a Presidium meeting. Party insiders reported a prolonged power struggle involving Senior Co-Chairmen Anisul Islam Mahmud and Mujibul Haque Chunnu, who had openly opposed the Chairman's authority. The dissidents reportedly demanded reforms to curtail what they described as autocratic control of the party leadership including amendments to Article 20(a), which allows the Chairman to expel any party member and assign posts without explanation or internal consultation.

The invocation of Article 20(a) is once again central to the leadership shake-up as the same provision previously used by GM Quader to expel former Secretary General Mashiur Rahman Ranga and install Chunnu in his place.

According to party sources, several Presidium members aligned with the internal opposition are also being removed and new individuals will be inducted into the Presidium to fill the ensuing vacancies and consolidate the Chairman's grip on the party.

Sources suggest that a parallel alliance has emerged within the top leadership to oust GM Quader, with support from previously expelled members who were sidelined after the 2024 national elections through the same constitutional clause.

Shamim Haider Patwary is a long-time JP loyalist and former adviser to HM Ershad. Patwary entered parliament through a 2018 by-election from Gaibandha-1 following the death of Golam Mostafa Ahmed and was re-elected in the general election held later that year.

Meanwhile, the two recently relieved co-chairmen Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud and ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader have termed the appointment of Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary as the Secretary General of the Jatiya Party excluding Mujibul Haque Chunnu as extremely undemocratic, unconstitutional and a direct violation of the party constitution.
They made the remark in a joint statement issued to the media on Monday.