4 JP ministers pass resignations to party chief
Expressing his firm commitment to boycott the parliamentary polls and to quit the poll-time government, Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad on Thursday said he would have no option other than embracing death if ‘pressure is created’ on him to deviate from his decisions. “I am firm on whatever the decisions I have made. There is no way to deviate from these decisions other than in death,” he told journalists at his Baridhara residence shortly before 10pm. Asked about the resignation of all Jatiya Party members in the poll-time cabinet, he said, “Don’t worry, we will resign.”
Earlier, he received resignation letters from four out of six ministers of his party in the poll-time cabinet. They are Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Ruhul Amin Howlader, Commerce Minister GM Quader, State Minister for Youth and Sports Mujibul Haque Chunnu and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Salma Islam.
Ershad said Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Health Minister Roushan Ershad and Prime Minister’s adviser Ziauddin Bablu will also submit their resignation letters within a day or two.
Section 58 (1) of the Constitution says the office of a minister shall become vacant if he/she resigns from office by placing the resignation letter to the prime minister for submission to the president.
Earlier, law enforcers tried to arrest Nurul Islam Babul, chairman of Jamuna Group and husband of state minister Salma Islam.
About the attempt to arrest Babul, Ershad said the government though Babul to be his ‘adviser’.
The JP chief said he had given the formula of an all-party government top ensure participation of all major parties in it, but a number of major parties, including the BNP, did not participate in it.
He further said amid countrywide violence and deaths he cannot remain indifferent and take part in the polls.
Ershad, however, regretted that the culture of violence and deaths in politics would continue even if the BNP comes to power and the Awami League forms the
opposition. He also cited his grievances against the Awami League-led grand alliance government.
Ershad also said the country’s people would welcome his decision not to take part in the forthcoming election under the present government.
Earlier, JP Secretary General Ruhul Amin Howlader told reporters that his party chairman asked the all party ministers and adviser to tender their resignations. He said many of his colleagues, including himself, submitted resignation letters to party the chairman.
The JP leader said party senior presidium member and Health Minister Raushan Ershad also expressed her willingness to submit resignation and will do it shortly.
Howlader said that two other JP leaders — water resources minister Anisul Islam Mahmud and the Prime Minister’s adviser Ziauddin Bablu — would submit their resignations soon.
“The party chairman will submit the resignation letters to the president on his return home,” Howlader added. The President, who is currently in Singapore for a medical check-up, is likely to return on Friday.
After his press briefing, law enforcers tried to arrest Jamuna Group Chairman Nurul Islam Babul from in front of Ershad’s residence when he was leaving the President Park. Party leaders and activists foiled the attempt to pick him up. Huge number of law enforcers was deployed in front of Ershad’s residence in the evening.
Meanwhile, Anisul Islam Mahmud faced an embarrassing situation while he was leaving the President Park after a half-an-hour meeting with Ershad, as some party activists pressed him to speak on whether he resigns and chanted slogan terming him collaborator of the government.
On Tuesday, Ershad formally announced that his party would boycott the 10th parliamentary elections.
Speculation was rife about the JP ministers’ resignation this day after three Jatiya Party ministers, including Ershad’s wife Raushan, went to the PM Office to express their party’s stand over quitting the poll-time cabinet and the January 5 polls.
When the JP ministers left Sheikh Hasina’s office for Ershad’s residence without submitting their resignation letters to the PM, there was speculation if the JP chairman would stick to his earlier stance to quit the govt or nor.
Ershad’s younger brother and Commerce Minister GM Kader, who had retained his portfolio in the reconstituted all-party government, went to the Secretariat in his flagged car on Thursday. In the evening, he went to Ershad’s residence to submit his resignation letter.
Meanwhile, Ershad asked his party supporters at his stronghold of Rangpur to be on their toes so that they could organise protests if he is arrested.
“Why are the police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at my residence? Keep yourselves ready. If I give any directive, follow it. And those who have submitted nomination papers, withdraw those,” he told the party’s rank and file, who had congregated at the Jatiya Party’s Rangpur district office on Thursday, over cell phone.
Extra security has been mounted around Ershad’s President’s Park residence, since Wednesday, shortly after Ershad declared he was pulling out his candidates.
-With The Independent input
