JaPa ministers may resign from cabinet

by Manik Miazee in Dhaka tribune, May 3, 2017 at 9:20 PM
Following an announcement by the party chief that he might form a new political alliance for the upcoming parliamentary elections, Jatiya Party (JaPa) has discussed the possibility of its ministers resigning from the cabinet.
The issue was discussed in the party’s parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday evening, a source present in the meeting told the Dhaka Tribune.
JaPa Chairman former autocrat HM Ershad raised the issue, the source said.
The party currently has one minister and two state ministers in the cabinet. They are Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu and State Minister for Local Government Mashiur Rahman Ranga.
The party source said at the parliamentary party meeting, JaPa chief HM Ershad proposed that the ministers leave the cabinet as the party plans to announce a new alliance for the next polls.
Ershad said he had communicated with several political parties to form an alliance with JaPa. However, the parties questioned JaPa’s “dual role” of being the opposition in parliament and having ministers in the cabinet at the same time.
If JaPa leaves the cabinet, several registered political parties will come forward to form an alliance, he said.
Ershad then requested the JaPa cabinet members that they resign as early as possible.
However, party senior Co-Chairperson and opposition leader in parliament Raushan Ershad, and one of the JaPa ministers present protested Ershad’s proposal, the source said.
One of the senior party leaders present at the meeting told the Dhaka Tribune that Raushan, also the party chief’s wife, criticised Ershad’s proposal.
She said that it is not the proper time to leave the cabinet and the ministers will resign at an appropriate time.
Ershad told the meeting that the public and party supporters do not have faith on JaPa leadership because of this dual role.
Most of the JaPa MPs supported the party chief’s proposal, including Kazi Firoj Rashid, Syed Abu Hossain Babla and Fakhrul Imam.
Syed Abu Hossain Babla confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that the issue of resignations had been discussed at the parliament committee meeting.
Firoj Rashid told JaPa should not confuse party supporters and the public as to where its loyalties lie.
“If JaPa wants to prove that the party is really in the opposition in parliament then it should leave the cabinet,” he added.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/politics/2017/05/03/japa-ministers-may-resign-cabinet/