‘We will resist rogue Ranga’

GBNEWS24DESK//

The faction of Jatiya Party leaders and activists loyal to party chairman GM Quader yesterday burnt an effigy of opposition chief whip Mashiur Rahman Ranga.

JP leaders at a rally in front of Jatiya Press Club vowed to resist Ranga for his derogatory remarks on GM Quader and JP Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu.

In a discussion organised by the JP faction loyal to Raushan Ershad on October 23, Ranga, also lawmaker from Rangpur-1, vowed to oust Quader and Chunnu from the party for going against Raushan.

Ranga claimed that Quader is seeking money from the party’s leaders in exchange for giving them nominations in the next election.

He said by uniting all leaders and activists who were sacked from JP, they will besiege the party offices in the capital.

Jatiya Party’s Dhaka north city unit yesterday organised the rally, where JP leaders loyal to Quader blasted Ranga — who was recently relieved of all party duties.

Presided over by Shafiqul Islam Sentu, convener of the JP unit, the party’s leaders said Ranga will be resisted strongly regardless of where he is. “JP founder and former president HM Ershad gave him [Ranga] the position in the party. But Ranga has now become subservient to the government and gone against the party for personal interests.”

The fresh conflict between Quader and Raushan, widow of HM Ershad, started brewing when she convened the party’s 10th council, which was scheduled for November 26, on August 31 without any prior notice.

Sources at JP told this correspondent that the pro-Raushan faction planned to oust Quader and take over the party during the council.

A day after, JP Parliamentary Party on September 1 at a meeting decided to remove Raushan from the post of the opposition leader.

After the meeting, a letter was submitted to the parliament speaker, urging her to make Quader the opposition leader. The letter was also signed by Ranga.

Later, Ranga asked the speaker to withdraw his signature from the letter and defended Raushan on national television.

On September 14, Quader removed Ranga, who is known to be loyal to Raushan, from all party posts.

Quader is currently the deputy leader of the opposition.