Rashid and former secretary general Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu made the announcement at a press briefing in the evening while attending a joint meeting with parliament members at party’s Banani office, a press release said.
Rashid said Jatiya Party founder HM Ershad made his younger brother GM Quader chairman following the party charter. Quader got support from presidium members to become the opposition leader.
“Ershad picked the opposition leader, deputy leader and chief whip as the chairman of Jatiya Party,” Rashid said. “It’s the authority of the party chairman.”
A group of Jatiya Party leaders announced Ershad’s widow Raushon its chairperson on Thursday, amid growing conflict over the appointment of Leader of the Opposition.
Bablu said those who declared Raushon as party chief had done an illegal act and that Raushon had “crossed the line” by not protesting against the announcement.
“Action will certainly be taken against those who made illegal and undemocratic announcement,” he said.
GM Quader presided over the joint meeting of presidium and parliament members of the party.
Sayed Abu Hossain Babla MP, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Golam Kibria Tipu MP, Saidur Rahman, advocate Sheikh Sirajul Islam, Salma Islam, and Masud Parvez (Sohel Rana), among others, attended the meeting.