Defeated JaPa candidates now want unity

The Jatiyo Party candidates, who suffered a shocking defeat in 7 January elections, have deviated from their earlier stance and decided to carry on politics under the present leadership.

The defeated poll-runners and a section of grassroots JaPa activists protested in front of the Banani party office on Wednesday, blaming their top leaders for the shameful results in the 12th national elections.

They alleged that the party top leaders' compromise with the ruling Awami League before the elections had actually led to the poor poll results shown by the JaPa nominees. The party managed to secure only 11 seats out of 26 conceded seats.

In contrast, those leaders and activists held a meeting at the Diploma Engineers' Institution in the capital on Sunday and decided that they were not in favor of breaking up the party. Rather, they want to move forward under the leadership of JaPa Chairman GM Quader.

However, the party's general secretary Mujibul Haque Chunnu and several other people still made allegations against some top leaders at that meeting.

During Wednesday's protest in front of the party chairman's office, JaPa Co-Chairman Syed Abu Hossain Babla and Additional Secretary General Sahidur Rahman Tepa were present among the central leaders.

On that day, Sahidur, keeping Babla beside him, told reporters, "The decision was taken after discussion with the grassroots leaders. The party chairman and general secretary should be given a 48-hour ultimatum to resign, taking responsibility for the failure."

But four days later, Babla changed his mind and told the Sunday's meeting "We are not in favor of breaking up the Jatiyo Party, it is our address. We want to move forward under the leadership of GM Quader." Tepa was not present in the meeting.

He claimed that they were ignorant about the "concept" of Wednesday's protest before the chairman's Banani office. "We have nothing to do with the ultimatum that had been given."

He said, "We want to say in clear language that we made this party with blood. I myself have been jailed five times while doing politics under this party. My house was looted. We're not here to make any reckless decisions. We want to make this party on the basis of unity."

However, JaPa candidate Fazle Elahi, who was elected from Noakhali-3 seat, claimed that party secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu is a fraud.

"I called the secretary general hundreds of times during the election, but he did not pay heed to it. He is a fraud and a cheat. He was busy with his own election instead of giving financial benefits from the government to our candidates," he alleged.

JaPa Presidium Member Shafiqul Islam said that the government gave the party a lot on the occasion of the election in terms of providing money or sharing seat, but their leaders failed to cash in on it.

Liaquat Hossain, another presidium member of the party said, "We're not holding this meeting with any ulterior motive. We want to unite and strengthen Jatiyo Party under the leadership of the chairman. But some people have kept the chairman in their grip."

Shahina Sultana Lima, a member of Japa's executive committee, questioned the role of Sherifa Quader in JaPa. Sherifa is a newly inducted presidium member who also won party nomination in the election.

More than a hundred defeated Japa candidates participated in the meeting.