The atmosphere in Parliament became very heated for some time over an apparently derogatory remark by a ruling party MP on Jatiya Party founder and ex. president, late HM Ershad. Ruling party MP from Lalmonirhat Motahar Hossain, while speaking at the thanksgiving motion on President’s speech, claimed that Ershad lost his security money in the January 5, 2014 election against him. His comments created anarchy in the House for some time. Jatiya Party MP Firoz Rashid stood and started to speak without the microphone and protested what he called the ‘derogatory remark’ from the ruling party MP. At one stage Deputy Speaker Shamshul Huq Tuku, who was in the chair, asked him to sit down and wait to be given the floor. But Rashid did not stop and at that time shouting from different directions was heard in the House. Motahar, who still had the mic, asked how Rashid expects to speak while another MP is speaking. Deputy Speaker at that time turned off all microphones, and gave the floor to Firoz Rashid for one minute. The Jatiya Party MP accused Motahar of lying. “His (Motahar Hossain) speech should be expunged and he should seek apology,” he said. Opposition Chief Whip Mashiur Rahman Ranga also threatened to leave the House, shouting without the mic. Deputy Speaker asked him to sit down and speak later on point of order. But Ranga did not pay heed to him and continued shouting. Read more: Parliament now a one-party club: Fakhrul At that stage, deputy speaker assured him that if there is anything objectionable it will be expunged. He also asked Motahar to stick to the agenda and gave the microphone back to him. At this point, speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was seen to enter the House hurriedly and taking her seat. She asked for calm and all to sit down. “There is a decorum in the House, now discussion on the President’s speech is going on, one person is speaking, if there are any objectionable words in that speech you can raise that and it will be expunged after scrutiny. For that you have to wait for sometime,” she said. She gave the floor to Motahar Hossain, and now he claimed that he did not say anything untrue. Standing on point of order, Firoz Rashid said that it is indecent to say anything derogatory against a dead person. “Mr Motahar should know that Mr Ershad never suffered defeat in the land of Rangpur,” he said. He also said that Ershad did not participate in the 2014 election. “There is no one in Rangpur who can inflict a defeat on Mr Ershad in Rangpur where he loses his security money, in any election. There should be a limit of audacity, we demand full expunge of this speech, otherwise he will face problems in the land of Rangpur,” he said. Read more: 21st Parliament session to continue till Feb 9 In the controversial 2014 election, Motahar got 189,814 votes in Lalmonirhat-1 constituency while Ershad got 5381 votes. Lalmonirhat is in Rangpur division.    

Jatiya Party has relieved lawmaker Mashiur Rahaman Ranga from all party posts, including that of the presidium member. Party chairman GM Quader took the decision by exercising his power given by the party constitution, said a party press release on Wednesdays. The press release, signed by Jatiya Party Joint Office Secretary Mahmud Alam, said the decision has already been implemented. Ranga, a former secretary general of the party, has still been there in the post of Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament. His removal came at a time when a conflict between the GM Quader and Raushon Ershad has surfaced recently over the control of the party ahead of the next general election. On August 31 last, Jatiya Party Chief Patron and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Raushon suddenly convened the party's national council for November 26. A day later, Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party wrote to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury requesting her to make Quader the leader of the opposition, dropping Raushon. In a statement on September 2, GM Quader said a third party was trying to implement an agenda by using the name of Raushon. Read: Jatiya Party submits audit report to EC On December 3, 2018, then Jatiya Party Chairman and founder HM Ershad appointed Ranga its secretary general removing Ruhul Amin Hawlader. After Ershad’s death, current party chairman GM Quader made party co-chairman Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu its secretary general removing Moshiur Rahman Ranga from the post on July 26, 2020. As Bablu passed away, party co-chairman Mujibul Haque Chunnu was appointed as Jatiya Party’s secretary general on October 10 last year.

The Democracy Day was observed in the country on Monday marking the fall of autocratic ruler HM Ershad in 1990. On December 6, 1990, military dictator Ershad stepped down in the face of a mass upsurge and handed power over to a caretaker government ending his nine years of autocratic rule which began through grabbing power on March 24, 1982. READ: Democracy Day being observed Different political parties and socio-cultural organisations observed the day with various programmes. READ: Democracy Day being observed

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Tuesday said people have got fed-up with the ‘misrule’ of two major political parties Awami League and BNP.

Jatiya Party is going to introduce ‘Pallibandhu Padak’ (Award) in eight categories, marking its founder late HM Ershad’s 91st birth anniversary.

Jatiya Party Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu on Sunday alleged that the current Election Commission is committing unpardonable crimes by holing elections without ensuring people’s voting rights.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Tuesday said the successive governments after the rule of HM Ershad are two sides of the same coin.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Thursday said the country’s current electoral system will have to be reformed in the interest of multi-party democracy.   “The current electoral system is not effective in many cases. Real democracy will be established and all parties’ participation in Parliament will be ensured if MPs are elected in proportion to the number of votes,” he said.   Under the current electoral system, the representation of only two-three major parties is ensured in Parliament.   GM Quader made the remarks at a discussion arranged by Jatiya Chhatra Samaj at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the Upazila Day.   He said the federal government system should be introduced since it is not possible to ensure good governance for 18-20 crore people with a unitary government system.   Stating that the federal government system exists in most countries of the world, the Jatiya Party chief said if eight provincial governments are established in the country, they will be able to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of people.   “It’ll help to ensure all services and justice for people properly,” he said.   The Jatiya Party Chairman said article 70 of the constitution needs to be revoked as MPs cannot vote against the party's decision only because of it. “The article 70 helps establish a dictatorship or autocracy in Parliament.”   He said article 70 is also a barrier to making the government accountable to the Parliament. “Good governance is not ensured without accountability,” he said.   Quader said their late party founder HM Ershad carried out many reforms during his rule, breaking the colonial system for the welfare of people. “He (Ershad) appointed the first-class officers in the Upazila Parishad under the elected representatives and made the administration functional under the elected Zila Parishad chairman.”   During Ershad’s rule, GM Quader claimed that there was good governance in the country and people could do business without any influence and got jobs irrespective of party affiliation and religion.   He urged the government to fully implement the Upazila system as dreamt by Ershad to empower the public representatives.

Voicing deep worry over the price hike of essentials, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday said the market is not out of the government’s control.

Speakers at a webinar said the killers of Bangabandhu and the conspirators tried to destroy the secular spirit of 1971 Liberation War by converting Bangladesh into an Islamic Republic.