After boycotting polls, Raushan now urges PM to shun Jatiya Party

Following her decision not to contest in the upcoming national elections due to dissatisfaction over nominations with Chairman GM Quader, Jatiya Party's Chief Patron Raushan Ershad met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and urged the latter to avoid any alliance or negotiation with the party.

During the meeting at Gonobhaban, Raushan, the main opposition leader of the 11th national parliament, told the prime minister that if the ruling party seeks any negotiation with the Jatiya Party, they should engage with her supporters.

However, Jatiya Party leaders claim that Raushan, wife of party founder HM Ershad, has no authority to make decisions on the party's behalf. But she can meet the prime minister, who is also the president of the Awami League. They also emphasised that the Jatiya Party is not involved in any election alliance.

Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu said, "We waited until 10pm on the final day of nomination form sales for three party leaders, including Raushan Ershad. There should be no dissatisfaction over the nominations. To avoid leaving seats vacant, we nominated candidates in their constituencies at the last minute."

Chunnu further said Raushan Ershad's comments will hold no bearing on the electoral landscape.

According to Jatiya Party sources, Raushan Ershad was dissatisfied as GM Quader, brother of the party founder, did not nominate her followers for the upcoming 12th national polls scheduled for 7 January next year. Her request included the reinstatement of expelled party leaders, including Moshiur Rahman Ranga, the opposition chief whip in parliament.

However, during the nomination process, no one from the Raushan faction of the party submitted nominations, as the matter remained unresolved despite multiple meetings with GM Quader.

Following the unresolved nomination dispute, Raushan Ershad held a press conference on 29 November and declared she will not contest in the election. She alleged that party leaders, including GM Quader, had underestimated her influence within the party.

Subsequently, Moshiur Rahman Ranga, unable to secure a nomination under the Jatiya Party banner, opted to run as an independent candidate for his seat.

Raushan Ershad has been the MP of Mymensingh-4 constituency since 2014.

'GM Quader seized control of the Jatiya Party through a coup'

After Raushan Ershad's meeting with the prime minister, her spokesperson Kazi Mamunur Rashid said at a media briefing, "GM Quader has illegally seized control of the Jatiya Party through a coup, expelling hundreds of party leaders and workers and depriving them of nominations. Consequently, Raushan Ershad has boycotted the election."

"If any agreement is to be made with the Jatiya Party, it should be discussed with the faction led by her," he added.

When asked about the prime minister's response at the meeting, Mashiur Rahaman Ranga, who was present at the meeting, said, "The prime minister has stated that she will look into the matter."

He said, "Around 250-300 party leaders and activists have been unjustly expelled, and deserving candidates have been humiliated by not giving them nominations. We requested that the Jatiya Party not be included in the AL-led alliance, and the prime minister said she will discuss this matter in the party council and make a decision."

Accompanying Raushan Ershad in the meeting were her son Saad Ershad, her political secretary Golam Mosih, Mashiur Rahman Ranga, and Kazi Mamunur Rashid.

Meanwhile, GM Quader's adviser and envoy Masroor Mawla told The Business Standard that Kazi Mamunur Rashid and Mashiur Rahman Ranga are not members of the Jatiya Party and are leveraging Raushan Ershad for their personal agendas.

Mawla expressed respect for Raushan Ershad, noting her current illness and claiming that "unscrupulous individuals" are exploiting her. He dismissed the recent events as "rubbish."

Jatiya Party sources said they want AL leaders contesting as independent candidates to be removed from 30 to 35 seats, so that Jatiya Party candidates can easily win in those seats.

However, when the prime minister's attention was drawn to this demand of the Jatiya Party, she said everyone has to contest the elections, according to the sources.

Media reports that the two ministers present at the meeting said when the prime minister was requested to prevent those independent candidates from contesting, she said she had nothing to say about the matter.

Regarding media reports suggesting that "the prime minister mentioned the possibility of Jatiya Party withdrawing from the elections", Masroor Mawla expressed doubt about whether such a statement was made.

"We are having regular meetings with the Awami League about how the elections could be made fair. And there will be more meetings in future," he said.

"We are not approaching the elections through seat sharing or compromise. Our aspiration is to secure victory through fair elections and to form the government," he said.

Before the meeting, the top leaders of the Awami League, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, held a meeting with the leaders of the 14-party alliance.

The issue of withdrawal of the party's independent candidates was also raised at that time. However, the party has not yet clarified its position on this matter.

Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu said, "Raushan Ershad's conversation with the prime minister is her personal matter and we will refrain from commenting on it."

He further clarified the party's stance saying, "Jatiya Party is not involved in activities related to seat sharing or forming alliances. The party has nominated its candidates independently and will contest the election with its own party symbol."

Regarding Raushan's remarks that GM Quader has illegally seized control of the party through a coup, Chunnu said, "GM Quader was elected as the chairman by the party council in 2019. There is no room for a question of ousting anyone; his position was attained through due process."

On 18 November, the Election Commission received two letters – one from GM Quader and the other in the name of Raushan Ershad – contradicting each other regarding the party's participation in the AL-led electoral alliance for the next parliamentary election.

Jatiya Party held several meetings with the Awami League recently on seat sharing for the upcoming election.

Since 2014, the Jatiya Party has been the main opposition in the parliament. In the 10th national polls, which was largely boycotted by major oppositions, the party bagged 34 seats in the parliament.

In 2018, it won 22 seats and retained its position as the main opposition in the parliament.