JP accepts Zillur’s nomination for presidency, Hasina visits him with flower, sweets; cabinet to be formed tomorrow
Hasan Jahid Tusher
The Awami League-led alliance is likely to form the new cabinet tomorrow with representatives of its major components as the AL and key ally Jatiya Party (JP) overcame the differences of opinion on choosing the next president of the country.
The differences were resolved with the JP’s acceptance of the AL parliamentary party’s decision to nominate its leader Zillur Rahman as the next president.
The JP high command had been saying since the parliamentary elections that they would reconsider joining the cabinet if Chairman HM Ershad is not made the president.
But after the first sitting of the AL parliamentary party following the oath-taking ceremony on Saturday, party chief Sheikh Hasina told the press that Zillur Rahman is their nominee for presidency.
In the wake of the complexities, Ershad sent party acting Chairman barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud and Presidium member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu to Hasina on Saturday night to discuss the role of his party.
Following the discussion, the JP verbally empowered Hasina to decide the fate of its chairman who earlier said he would be the president as per an accord with the AL chief.
Sources said the AL president assured the JP leaders of keeping them with the whole process of the alliance and the cabinet. The sources gave hints that Anisul Islam Mahmud and GM Quader, who holds a respectable political profile outside his primary identity as Ershad’s brother, might find themselves in the cabinet.
“We were part of the grand alliance and want to continue with the whole process of it,” Bablu told The Daily Star.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina yesterday made a surprise visit to Zillur Rahman at his Gulshan residence to show her admiration and respect for the veteran politician who took the helm of the party during the 1/11 political changeover.
Hasina, the prime-minister-in-waiting, and younger sister, Sheikh Rehana took flowers and sweets for Zillur’s family and had lunch with them. They discussed formation of the new cabinet with Zillur.
Hasina had said on Saturday night that she would decide formation of the cabinet in consultation with Zillur.
However, the AL chief did not say anything about the next cabinet believed to be dominated by her party’s young MPs-elect.
Talking to reporters, Hasina’s private secretary Aulad Hossain said the three-hour long visit was a personal visit to Zillur and his family. “They did not possibly discuss any political issue,” he said.
Meanwhile, the oath taking ceremony of the prime minister and members of the cabinet will be held at Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban at 6:00pm tomorrow, said a handout of the Press Information Department. About 1,000 guests including members of parliament, advisers to the caretaker government, diplomats, senior civil and military officials and eminent citizens have been invited to the function.
Talking to reporters yesterday at his Secretariat office, Cabinet Secretary M Abdul Aziz said they did not get the list of cabinet members as of afternoon although they had finalised all preparations for the oath taking ceremony. He said some 50 cars and 30 residences are ready for the ministers.
Asked about inviting Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam, he said, “We are inviting the MPs and we are making decisions after reviewing everything.”
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
