JP
Politics today has become ‘a profession’, it used to be about passion: JP MP Firoz Rashid
Sangsad Bhaban, Apr 9 (UNB) - Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid today said politics has now become “a profession”, which used to be about passion.
“Earlier, politics was about passion, and now it has become a profession,” he said while participating in the discussion on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's proposal raised under Rule 147 on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Jatiya Sangsad.
He said that if anyone learns that a groom belongs to the ruling party, “they say Alhamdulillah.”
Firoz Rashid said that politics is the only way to change the lives of the countrymen. “Now it has become a profession. Earlier, politics was about passion and people put their lives at risk,” he added.
Read More: No one is starving in Bangladesh, people don’t want panta rice any more: AL MP Chumki
During the Pakistan era, he recalled, if a man was involved in politics, he did not get married as he would not get any job.
Firoz Rashid claimed that the parliament has many achievements along with weaknesses.
“Till date, it is not able to form a commission (on Bangabandhu's murder)… Because there was a major conspiracy behind the assassination of Bangabandhu. Dalim, Farooq, Rashid went and did it… it did not happen just like that. There was a conspiracy behind it, you didn't figure it out.”
Pointing to Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon and Jasad President Hasanul Haque Inu, the Jatiya Party lawmaker said that the names of extreme left and extreme right politicians cannot be uttered.
Read More: Inu proposes formation of parliamentary body to review constitution
“Because all have boarded the boat. You (Awami League) will ride the boat. You are the captain of the boat. They are on the boat and asking ‘how far?’,” he said.
Firoz Rashid said that the nation is now divided into two parts.
“There is no neutral person. Teachers, doctors, intellectuals, journalists are all divided. The entire country is now divided into two parts,” he said.
He also claimed that businessmen belonging to BNP got the most business during this period.
Read More: Bringing any party to election is not govt’s responsibility: Info Minister
1 year ago
JP: Court clears petition on withdrawal of ban of GM Quader’s party activities
A Dhaka court on Wednesday cleared a petition filed for withdrawal of an embargo on political activities of Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader.
Dhaka Joint District Sessions Judge-1 Masdul Haque passed the order after hearing in this regard.
On Thursday, the hearing on the petition ended while the court fixed Wednesday for delivering its order.
However, the court also fixed November 30 for submitting a written reply and hearing its main lawsuit.
On October 6, several lawyers including Sheikh Sirajul Islam and Kalim Ullah Majumdar stood for GM Quader with a petition to withdraw the ban on his political activities at the court.
In the petition, the lawyers also urged the court to lift the embargo to play his role as Chairman as per constitution of the party.
Dhaka Joint District Sessions Judge court-1 issued a temporary embargo on the political activities of GM Quader after the plaintiff of the case lodged a petition on October 31.
The party-backed lawmaker Mashiur Rahman Ranga filed another case against four people including GM Quader on the same demand at the same court on October 3.
According to the case statement, the party’s founder HM Ershad died on September 14, 2019.
Quader declared himself as chairman of the party through forgery at a council on December 28, 2019 when a writ petition case was pending at the High Court.
Later, Quader as party chairman fired several leaders including Ranga, Gazipur metropolitan unit’s advisor Ataur Rahman Sarkar and Organising Secretary Sabur Sikdar, among others, by exercising his power as per constitution of the party.
Besides, Ranga was also removed from the post of presidium member of the party on September 14 and Advocate Ziaul Hoque Mridha from the party on September 17.
Read more: Jatiya Party removes Ranga as opposition chief whip
In the case, orders were sought to declare all removals from December 28, 2019 to September 17, 2022 and council as illegal while the next council of the party to keep stayed unless the HC writ petition is disposed of.
Read more: Jatiya Party doesn't subscribe to the concept of election under caretaker government: Chunnu
2 years ago
JP seeks to remove ailing Raushan as leader of opposition in Parliament
Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party on Thursday handed over a letter to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury requesting her to recognise party chairman GM Quader as the leader of opposition in the Parliament.
Currently, Raushan Ershad is the opposition leader who has been abroad for a long time for medical treatment with GM Quader as her deputy.
A delegation of JP led by the party’s secretary general and a JP MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu submitted the letter to the Speaker at the latter’s office this evening.
Also read: Parliament passes Public Debt bill by voice vote
“Opposition leader is sick for a long time, so she is unable to come to the Parliament due to her sickness. The Parliamentary Party took the decision at a meeting where 23 out of 26 MPs were present and one MP telephoned his consent saying that he will sign the letter later,” Chunnu said.
Earlier, the Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party at a meeting at its office at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban decided to make the change and send the decision to the Speaker, Chunnu said.
Raushan is now under treatment at a hospital in Bangkok.
Also read: Law minister introduces Evidence (Amendment) Bill in Parliament
2 years ago
Scope for politics gets limited: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Wednesday bemoaned that the atmosphere for doing politics in Bangladesh has now become limited.
“There’s no politics in the country… the people’s freedom of expression has also been squeezed. It is a great threat to democratic practice,” he said.
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, was speaking at a meeting with ex-leaders of Chhatra Samaj at the Jatiya Party Chairman’s Banani office.
He said their party has been working for establishing people's freedom of speech and the freedom of individuals. “We are doing politics to ensure the voting rights of the mass people.”
Read: Bangladesh can become bankrupt due to debt liability: GM Quader
Stating that people’s right to elect the representatives of their choice through elections has been snatched, the Jatiya Party chief said their party will carry out a movement to establish the rights of all people.
Former student leaders M Helal Uddin, Anwar Hossain Tomar, Humayun Khan, Delwar Hossain Khan Milon, Faisal Didar Dipu, Jatiya Party central executive committee member Shamim Ahmed Rajib, AKM Sajjad Parvez, Rezaur Razi Swapan Chowdhury and Rakib Khan, among others, were present at the meeting
2 years ago
No one from JP inquired about my condition during stay in hospital: Raushon
Leader of the Opposition in parliament Raushon Ershad on Saturday bemoaned that no one from the Jatiya Party inquired about her condition during her long stay at a hospital in Thailand.
Speaking at a views exchange meeting with party leaders and activists at a hotel in the city, she also said Jatiya Party has been in a mess following the death of its founder and her husband HM Ershad.
“I had been under treatment for over long six months at a hospital in Thailand. No one from the party inquired about me. But I inquired about all,” the opposition leader said.
She, however, said two, who were expelled from the party, tried to know her health condition and arranged different prayer sessions at mosques and other worship places seeking her recovery.
Also read: Raushon Ershad returns home from Thailand
Raushon, also the chief patron of the Jatiya Party, said Jatiya Party could have been in a different position had HM Ershad remained alive.
She said it is necessary to bring back those who have been left out of the Jatiya Party or left the party at different times. “Otherwise, we will fall far behind.”
Besides, the Jatiya Party leader said the new generation needs to be inducted into the party to make it as stronger as Awami League and BNP. “Or else, we won’t be able to survive in politics. ”
She also said the organizational strength of the Jatiya Party will have to be enhanced with the united efforts of all its leaders and activists.
Raushon said she could not hold back her tears seeing so many people there at the airport to greet her as she returned home.
Earlier on June 27, Raushon returned home from Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, after nearly seven and a half months of stay there for medical treatment.
She also joined the Parliament session on Thursday.
Her son Rahgir Al Mahi Saad Ershad MP (Rangpur-3) his mother is now fine, but very weak.
“She has problems in her legs and still can’t walk properly. It may take time for her to gain back her strength. She needs more physiotherapy,” he said.
Saad said Raushon will also go to Bangkok for follow-up treatment on July 4 next.
On November 5 last year, Raushon was flown to Thailand by an air ambulance as her health condition turned critical.
Also read: Raushon doing well, set to return home Monday: GM Quader
Earlier, Raushon Ershad, 78, underwent treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) as she fell ill seriously due to old age complications.
2 years ago
JP wants law to form next EC for holding acceptable polls
Jatiya Party (JP) led by Anwar Hossain Manju MP on Monday told President Abdul Hamid that the party wanted the next Election Commission to be formed under a law provided by the constitution.
A seven-member delegation headed Manju held talks with the president at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban, Jaynal Abedin, press secretary the president told UNB.
The delegation said the EC must get proper cooperation from the executive bodies of the government for holding a free and fair election.
READ: Electoral system in Bangladesh collapsed: GM Quader
However, it said respected acceptable personalities should be included instead of relying on bureaucrats if the president goes for selecting a search committee for EC.
Welcoming the delegation at Bangabhaban, the President Hamid said that the views and suggestions of the political parties are very important in forming an acceptable Election Commission.
Secretary to the President's Office Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary to the President Md. Joynal Abedin were also present on the occasion.
President Hamid opened the dialogue on formation of the next EC on December 20. The current EC is scheduled to end its five-year term in February next.
So far 18 of 32 political parties who were invited in phases joined the talks while six did not participate in the talks.
According to Bangabhaban press wing, the other parties invited for the dialogue are - Islami Front Bangladesh and Bangladesh National Awami Party on January 11, and Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP) and National People's Party ( NPP) on January 12 Bangladesh Kallyan Party, Jaker Party and Bangladesh Jatiya Party on January 13 and Bangladesh Awami League on January 17.
READ: Dialogue before EC formation just a mockery, says BNP
The country has now 39 registered political parties, according to the EC website and only nine of them have representation in Parliament.
The nine parties are Bangladesh Awami League, Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Ganoforum, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Jatiya Party-JP.
2 years ago
UP polls creating panic instead of festivity: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman on Tuesday voiced concern that the ongoing Union Parishad (UP) polls have become a matter of panic instead of festivity.
In a statement, he said, “The second and third phases of Union Parishad elections are going on across the country. These elections of the local government were once held in a festive manner in the country. Now these polls have become a frightening matter instead of festivity.”
Read: Prices soaring for no reason: GM Quader
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in Parliament, said the Election Commission has completely failed to maintain law and order in the ongoing UP elections.
“Attacks and exchange of fire over elections have become a daily affair. People have become panicked over the killing and violence every day,” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chief said the country’s people do not want to see bloodletting in the name of elections.
He also voiced frustration over the inaction of the Election Commission (EC) in ensuring a congenial election atmosphere.
Read: Raising fuel price, transport fare an anti-people move: GM Quader
GM Quader also said the EC’s role in the UP polls gives an impression that it has nothing to do with polls violence.
He said people are getting disappointed as the violence and terrorist activities are taking place every day in front of the members of the law enforcement agencies.
GM Quader said some people have already been killed in election violence. “Terrorists hacked to death two sons of a mother at Kathuli union of Gangni Upazila in Meherpur. “Nothing can be more unfortunate and painful than this.”
He urged the Election Commission to take more stern measures to curb election violence.
The Jatiya Party chief said it is not acceptable that the EC will be unable to maintain a peaceful environment after declaring the election schedule. “Tougher initiatives need to be taken to hold polls in a free, fair and neutral manner.”
3 years ago
GM Quader demands probe into vaccine, Covid test costs
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday demanded an investigation into the allegation of ‘unusual expenditures’ in coronavirus vaccine procurement, inoculation, and the Covid testing processes.
“An allegation of huge irregularities in the purchase of corona vaccines, their administration and the cost of corona tests has been raised. The experts are saying the health ministry's expenditures are unusual,” he said.
Read: Much of health sector allocation being looted: GM Quader
In a statement, the Jatiya Party chief said, “So, it’s urgent to find out whether there’s any corruption in buying and administrating the vaccines and spending money for conducting corona tests.”
Referring to media reports, he said a single dose of vaccine was procured at Tk 500 while Tk 2,500 is being spent on its administration. “In total, Tk 3,000 is being spent on the application of each dose of the vaccines, which the experts are saying is unacceptable.”
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said a study conducted by the health ministry in May last found that the government was spending on average Tk 1.28 lakh on treatment for each of the corona patients.
Read: Lack of vaccines making Covid situation worse: GM Quader
“But the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in an advertisement, published in different media on July 9, said the government has spent Tk 2 lakh per patient. With such information, experts smell corruption (in the treatment process),” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chief said the health ministry is not talking about the inconsistencies in the expenditures of the patients’ treatment.
Quader also said the DGHS in a press release on July 9 said a total of 656,871 people underwent Covid tests as of July 8 and the government has spent Tk 1,952 crore in this regard.
On the other hand, GM Quader said the DGHS in its regular press statement said 50,49,203 corona tests have been conducted till July 9 under the government management.
“So, there’s a clear inconsistency of around 15 lakh tests. But the health ministry is not responding to media reports and experts' opinions on the matter. Therefore, we demand the government look into the matter and find out whether there’s any corruption in the purchase and application of corona vaccines and in the expenses of corona tests.”
3 years ago