Quader, Anisul factions trade blames

The Jatiya Party's deepening leadership dispute intensified on August 8, when rival factions led by GM Quader and Anisul Islam Mahmud held separate press conferences in Dhaka to stake their political and legal claims ahead of a contentious party council.

At the Jatiya Party central office, GM Quader-led faction Secretary General Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary rejected the legitimacy of Anisul Islam Mahmud's claim as acting chairman. 

"There is no other way to become the acting chairman if the chairman does not give the responsibility," he asserted accusing senior dissenters of conspiratorially exploiting the June 28 postponement of the party's national council, which was called off due to the non-availability of a hall to create chaos and push for an unauthorized meeting.

Shamim claimed that on June 25, leaders of 78 unit committees had expressed full confidence in Chairman GM Quader and demanded punitive action against the instigators. 

This culminated, he said, in a unanimous presidium decision on June 28 to expel the disruptive leaders under Article 30 of the party constitution. 

Referring to the court's July 30 order that temporarily barred GM Quader and the party's office secretary from conducting organizational activities until August 12, Shamim Patwary argued that "The chairmanship has not been abolished, the position has not been declared illegal and the current chairman has not been declared disqualified. Those who have been expelled along with the primary membership have remained expelled till date and therefore "have no right to call a council, preside over a presidium meeting or hold any meeting under the name of the Jatiya Party," he insisted.

"The Jatiya Party is being run democratically. All decisions are made collectively and promotions and expulsions are conducted in accordance with the constitution," Shamim maintained. He also criticized the government and said, "There is no environment for elections in the country and the government had no sincerity to hold elections." 

He claimed the Election Commission was meeting with unregistered parties while excluding the registered Jatiya Party, describing this as 'injustice to an experienced political force'.

Meanwhile, at Howlader Tower in Gulshan, Party's acting chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud projected Saturday's national conference as historic promising it would end the long-standing differences within the party and form a greater unity to launch a new journey of the Jatiya Party dreamed of by Pallibandhu Ershad. 

He said several thousand councilors and delegates from across the country would attend the event at the Emmanuel Party Center, which he insisted was being held in accordance with the court order and constitution. 

The Election Commission had been formally notified and invited to send observers.

Anisul Islam pledged that the council would bring democracy back to the Jatiya Party, repeal controversial constitutional provisions and replace single-person leadership with joint leadership.