UNB, Dhaka :A tug of war is going on between Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad and opposition leader Raushon Ershad over choosing the deputy leader of the opposition in parliament.Opposition chief whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury on Tuesday sent a letter to Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury saying that the Jatiya Party parliamentary party has chosen Kazi Feroz Rashid as the deputy leader of the opposition.Hours later, Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad sent another letter to the Speaker opposing Kazi Feroz Rashid’s appointment.In the letter, Ershad mentioned that the appointment of the deputy leader of the opposition is only his discretion, not the parliamentary party.Talking to reporters, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin said she got the two letters – one from the chief whip of the opposition and another from Ershad. “I’ll look into the matter as per the law,” she said.According to the law on leader and deputy leader of the opposition, the deputy leader of the opposition must be the person, in the opinion of the Speaker, enjoying the maximum support of the party or group opposing the treasury bench.On July 27, Raushon sent a letter to the Speaker, seeking nomination of Kazi Feroz Rashid as the deputy leader of the opposition.The following day, Ershad sent another letter to the Speaker opposing it.The Speaker did not give her decision on the ground that she did not get the documentary evidence that Kazi Feroz Rashid got the highest number of opposition MPs in his favour.Meanwhile, HM Ershad had a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Parliament office yesterday evening, but it could not be known what they discussed at the meeting.
