Internal feud in Ctg JP resurfaces
Party readies for city council today
ANWAR HUSSAIN, Ctg
The internal feud in the Chittagong city unit of the Jatiya Party is once again out in the open in the run up to its biennial council today (Thursday) at the GEC Convention Centre in the city.
JP Chairman and former Prime Minister, HM Ershad, will attend the council as chief guest; while Water Resources Minister, Anisul Islam Mahmud, will be present as special guest.
Member of Parliament, Mahjabin Morshed will be in the chair. The council will be attended by JP Secretary General, Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, Moshiur Rahman Ranga, MA Hannan, former lawmaker Golam Kibria Tipu, advocate Salma Islam, Syed Abu Hossain Babla and Senior Joint Secretary General Md Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan.
However, Solaiman Alam Seth, the former city unit president and presidium member alleged that he has not been formally invited to the council. The council scheduled for today is doomed to fizzle out since the leaders and activists loyal to me will not attend the council. A party cannot run smoothly if the old guards are not included. A party, which depends on opportunist elements like Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu and Anisul Islam Mahmud, cannot go a long way in politics, said an indignant Seth. People know it very well that the Chittagong Jatiya Party is synonymous with Solaiman Seth. Its a dishonour to invite JP Chairman, HM Ershad, to the council in Chittagong, added Seth.
Earlier on June 7, Seth sent a letter to the party chairman requesting for postponing the city council scheduled for today. Asked about the reason for sending the letter to postpone the council, Seth claimed, I had sent the letter to our chairman for postponing the council because the city convening committee headed by Mahjabin Morshed was supposed to form a full-fledged committee within three months. However, she failed miserably in this respect.
Replying to the allegation, Mahjabin Morshed, convener of the JP Chittagong city chapter said that Seth has not been invited to the council in accordance to the wishes of the party high command. Asked whether the absence of Seths followers will have any impact on the council, Morshed said that the question is purely hypothetical. Todays council will make it abundantly clear that Chittagong is a stronghold of the JP. The council will also prove that people like Seth are not necessary for Chittagong city JP, said Morshed who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Jatiya Party.
Taking a swipe at Seth, she said that he had no remarkable political achievement. Seth during his tenure did not value the dedicated, energetic and bonafide leaders and activists. He even failed to unite the fresh blood and the old guards in the party. Therefore, Seth tried to thwart the council by sending the letter to the party chief, alleged Morshed.
Referring to the withdrawal of Seths expulsion from the party, Morshed said that Seth was not supposed to meddle in any affairs of the city chapter of the organisation.
Party insiders said that Seth was expelled on July 28, 2014 for allegedly breaching party discipline. Even his primary membership was cancelled. After his plea to the party high command, his expulsion order was withdrawn on March 3 this year. But it was made clear to him that he needed to abide with three specific conditions running the organisational activities as the presidium member in accordance with the guidelines issued by the party high command, no intervention in any organisational activity of the existing Chittagong south, north and city chapters and refrain from contesting in any national or local election without the consent of the central leadership.
Morshed claimed that Seth violated two conditions by meddling in the organisational activity of the city chapter and by contesting in mayoral election held on April 28.
The city chapter of the JP is riven with internal feud and factionalism. Seth heads one faction, while the other camp is led by Morshed.
