In the field of politics, the controversy over the ownership of ‘Plough’ of Jatiya Party(JP) of late former President Hussain Muhammad Ershad has started. Since its establishment on January 1, 1986, the Jatiya Party has been divided at least six times due to leadership conflicts. Last Saturday, the council ended by announcing the crowning of party chairman Ershad's wife Roushan Ershad and general secretary Kazi Mamunur. The other part is chaired by Ershad's brother Golam Mohammad (GM) Quader and general secretary Mojibul Haque Chunnu.
On January 28 of this year, Jatiya Party (JP) changed the committee and expelled the current committee chairman GM Quader and general secretary Mojibul Haque Chunnu and announced herself as the chairman and announced a new committee. Meanwhile, a section of the party wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal to take the Roushan supporters' committee into account. Public interest has been created as to who will get the plough symbol as the two factions have announced a counter-committee. However, the Election Commission (EC) said that who will get the plough symbol will be determined according to the constitution of the Jatiya Party.
Meanwhile, on March 9, Ershad's wife Begum Roushan Ershad was appointed as chairman and Kazi Mamunur Rashid as general secretary for 3 years through the National Council. Kazi Firoz Rashid, Senior Co-Chairman Syed Abu Hossain Babla, Co-Chairman Sahidur Rahman Tepa, Shafiqul Islam Sentu, Rahgir Al Mahi Saad Ershad, Golam Sarwar Milon and Sunil Shuvo Roy have become the executive chairman of the partial committee.
Pro-Roushan JP General Secretary Kazi Mamunur Rashid has written to the Election Commission EC demanding the change of Chairman GM Quader and General Secretary Chunnu on the responsibility of the JP faction. EC was informed that Jatiya Party (Registration No-12) led by Chairman Begum Roushan Ershad and General Secretary Kazi Md. Mamunur Rashid will manage the official activities of the Jatiya Party. The letter was reviewed by the relevant branch of the Election Commission and informed to Kazi Mamunur Rashid that the EC rejected the claim as it did not agree with the constitution of the party.
Jatiya Party presidium member and additional secretary general Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan told Barta24.com that the elected chairman and secretary general of the ninth council of Jatiya Party did not hold any council. The plough will belong to those elected to the Ninth Council. The Jatiya Party contested the 12th National Assembly elections in 286 seats under the leadership of the Chairman of the Ninth Council.
Regarding the announcement of the new committee of the pro-Roushan faction, this Jatiya Party leader said that Bangladesh is a free and democratic country. Anyone can make a separate party. There are 192 political parties in Bangladesh out of which 43 parties are registered. If I stand in the middle of the press club and say I am the chairman, my friend the secretary general, it will also be a party, but how effective will it be? They group can apply for new registration, it is up to them. It will be the 44th political party if the application is approved as per the Election Commission's demand.
In this regard, Sunil Shuvo Roy, co-chairman of the pro-Roushan JP, told Barta24.com that the chairman and general secretary of the Jatiya Party were dismissed and a new chairman and secretary general were elected through the council. Council is the highest forum of a party. As a result, the Jatiya Party's plough remains in the hands of the current committee, he claimed.
EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told Barta24.com about the row over the plough symbol of the two sides of JP, that according to the constitution of the Jatiya Party, a decision will be made on which committee will be given the party symbol. Meanwhile, one side demanded the recall of the Ninth Council Committee in the EC. After seeing everything, we rejected that application and informed them. Now if someone announces my new committee, party, then the decision will be taken according to their constitution.
Regarding the announcement of a new committee, he said that if the decision of the EC is not accepted in a dispute over the leadership of the original committee, the court can be the last resort of the party. If they can bring an order from the court, action will be taken accordingly.
It should be noted that since the establishment of the Jatiya Party by Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1986, the party has been divided at least six times. Last Ershad's wife senior leader Roushan Ershad announced herself as the chairman and announced the new committee. Earlier, late leader Kazi Zafar Ahmed announced Jatiya Party as a new party in 2017. Before that, after the 1996 7th Jatiya Sangsad elections, Najiur Rahman Manju formed a party named Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP). After leaving the BJP, MA Mateen formed a new separate Jatiya Party. However there is another faction of Jatiya Party led by Anowar Hossain Manju and Sheikh Shahidul Islam.