Special Correspondent :
A discord arose between Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad and his wife Leader of the Opposition Begum Rawshan Ershad over selection of parliament members for the women’s reserved seats in the 10th parliament.
Even leaders loyal to Ershad are unhappy over party chairman’s role in selecting candidates for women’s reserved seats, party insiders said.
Despite opposition by a section of the JP leaders Ershad is apparently firm as regards selection of Mousumi Biswas, Barrister Dilara Khan Shilpy, Nazma Khan, Mahjabin Morshed, Sherifa Quader from women reserved seats in parliament, JP sources said.
A total of 95 aspirants bought nomination forms against six seats having deposited Tk 5,000 each.
Meanwhile, there are allegation against a section of JP leaders of taking a good amount of money from some of the aspirant women candidates with assurance of making them MP. The matter came to the media when some of those who have already paid hefty amount of money,
found their names not in the list of selected candidates.
JP secretary general Ruhul Amin Hawlader termed the allegation of underhand payment for selection of women reserved seats as untrue at a briefing at the party’s Gulshan office on Friday. Party chairman together with leader of the Opposition Begum Ershad will finalize the list on the basis of merit, he said adding the list would be made available soon. He refuted any rift between Ershad and his wife Begum Ershad over the issue.
Hawlader also said that only party secretary general and GM Kader were official spokes persons of the party. JP leaders Atiqur Rahman Atiq and joint secretary general Nurul Islam were among others, present.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Rawshan Ershad, also the senior presidium member of JP, on Sunday last paid tribute to martyrs at the National Mausoleum at Savar. She along with Jatiya Party lawmakers placed wreaths at the National Mausoleum.
The absence of party Chairman HM Ershad and secretary general Ruhul Amin Hawlader was conspicious.
JP presidium members Anisul Islam Mahmud, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, Kazi Firoz Rashid, Syed Abu Hossain Babla among 27 leaders of the party were present at the mausoleum with Begum Ershad.
This incident is also seen as an open demonstration of rift in the party leadership, political observers said.
