Raushan has no power to dismiss leaders or declare herself chairman: Chunnu

Jatiyo Party (JaPa) chief patron Raushan Ershad does not have the power to dismiss leaders or declare herself as the chairman of the party, the party's General Secretary Mujibul Haque Chunnu said.

Her announcements are baseless as she hasn't been bestowed any such powers under the party's constitution, Chunnu said in an emergency press briefing today.

Chunnu came up with the remarks only hours after Raushan dismissed him and GM Quader from their positions of the general secretary and chairman of the party respectively, and declared herself the new chairperson during a view exchange meeting held at her Gulshan residence.

She also said JaPa presidium member Kazi Mamunur Rashid will be the new general secretary of the party until the organisation's next council meeting.

Explaining her sudden decision, Raushan Ershad said, "I cannot allow the party to suffer. JaPa is going through a grievous period, and GM Quader and Mujibul Haque have caused significant damage to the party."

In response to Raushan's announcements, Chunnu said, "We are not paying any heed to these orders. These are baseless. She has no such power under the party constitution."

Referring to Raushan's statement that grassroot activists of the party support her decisions, Chunnu said, "Any person can say anything outside of the constitution as they wish. But they have no basis."

"Every party has its own constitution. The Jatiyo Party took part in the Jatiya Sangsad polls. The electoral symbol has been allocated by GM Quader. Therefore, according to the rules of the Election Commission, he is the chairman of the party. And I am the secretary general," he also said. 

Chunnu said this is not the first time Raushan expelled GM Quader.

"This is her third time. She withdrew her previous orders later," he said.