Ailing Ershad names brother GM Quader as acting chief of Jatiya Party

HM Ershad has named his brother GM Quader acting chairman of the Jatiya Party as the drama over the selection of his heir in the party continues.

The 89-year-old ailing chief of the party made the announcement at an urgent press conference at his home in Dhaka’s Baridhara just after 11:00 pm on Saturday.

The former military strongman, deposed three decades ago, struggled to read out the announcement with the help of Quader.

Citing his own sickness, Ershad said Co-Chairman Quader will perform the duty of chairman from now on and subsequently become chairman in Ershad’s absence.

The leader of the official opposition in parliament travelled to Singapore several times before and after the December 30 general election last year for treatment.

The move to make Quader his successor again is expected to draw angry reaction from supporters of Ershad’s wife and the party’s Senior Co-Chairman Raushon Ershad.

They always objected to and foiled Ershad's plan to make Quader his successor in the Jatiya Party.

The conflict in the party over Ershad’s successor has long been making headlines as Ershad had tried to install Quader as his heir in the party several times.

HM Ershad has tried to install his brother GM Quader as his heir in the Jatiya Party for a number of times. Known for changing decisions every now and then, Ershad sacked Quader citing his “failures” to run the party on March 22, two days after his birthday celebrations where Raushon sang a song for him.

Quader also lost his post as the deputy leader of the official opposition in parliament to Raushon at the time.

After barely two more weeks, on April 4, Ershad reinstated Quader as Jatiya Party co-chairman, bdnews24.com reported.

Raushon, with Quader by her side at a programme at the time, said there was no rift among the leaders of the party.

Raushon Ershad's supporters always objected to HM Ershad's plan to make his brother GM Quader his successor in the Jatiya Party. On April 8, Ershad formed a trust and donated all of his assets to it.

He kept his son Eric Ershad, a cousin and two aides in the trust, excluding both Raushon and Quader. Eric accompanies Ershad on his foreign trips. His other son Shad Ershad was also with Ershad when he visited Singapore for treatment earlier this year.