Sixth split in JaPa: Anisul Islam Mahmud, Ruhul Amin Howlader lead new faction

In just a year and a half, the Jatiya Party (JaPa) has split again, this time from GM Quader's leadership. The new faction has elected Anisul Islam Mahmud as chairman, ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader as secretary general, and Kazi Firoz Rashid as senior co-chairman.

They were chosen at the party's 10th National Council, held today (9 August) at the Emmanuel Party Centre in Dhaka. Former JaPa secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu was elected executive chairman of the council. Leaders said a full committee would be announced within 15 days.

Speaking to The Business Standard, JaPa (Quader) secretary general Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary insisted that GM Quader remains the leader of the main party and that grassroots activists are united under him. "Those who arranged Saturday's council are expelled leaders," he said.

"The council is illegal," Shamim added.

However, the breakaway faction claims it represents the majority. Of JaPa's 42 praesidium members, 22 have joined the new group led by Anisul and Ruhul Amin.

This is the sixth major split in JaPa's history, with previous breakaways often creating parties under the same name but with different leaders in brackets. Currently, four registered parties bear the "Jatiya Party" name, with another unregistered faction aligned with the BNP. 

The most recent split before this came in February last year, when Raushan Ershad declared herself chairperson and "dismissed" GM Quader and Chunnu from their posts.

The latest division also follows a legal setback for Quader's leadership. On 30 July , a Dhaka court temporarily barred him and joint office secretary Mahmud Alam from carrying out party activities, reinstating Anisul, Ruhul Amin, Chunnu, and several praesidium members. The order came after Chunnu and nine others filed a civil suit on 27 July, challenging their removal.

Chunnu apologises for illegal elections

At Saturday's council, Chunnu publicly apologised for JaPa's role in what he called "illegal elections" under the Awami League's rule. "If there was any moral mistake, we unconditionally apologise to the people of the country," he said. 

He also admitted that the party may not have always made the right political decisions, but urged supporters to forgive past mistakes.

Former co-chairman Syed Abu Hossain Babla, now part of the Anisul-Ruhul faction, told TBS that theirs is "the legitimate Jatiya Party," adding that they have the support of 22 praesidium members, three of the party's five co-chairmen, and communication with Raushan Ershad.

Japa will playa  positive role under Quader's leadership: Shamim

Jatiya Party Secretary General Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary expressed his hope that the party will play a positive role in Bangladeshi politics under GM Quader's leadership.

"Under the leadership of party chairman GM Quader, grassroots leaders and activists remain united. The party will be the place of trust for all the people of this country," Shamim said. 

He made these remarks while addressing a views exchange meeting with the Jatiya Tarun Party at the party's central office auditorium in Dhaka's Kakrail yesterday.

Patwary also urged party leaders and activists to remain united, avoiding being misled by conspiracies.

A history of splits

JaPa's first split occurred in 1996 when Anwar Hossain Manju broke away to contest elections with Awami League support. Subsequent divisions took place in 1999, 2003, 2013, and during internal disputes after the death of founder Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 2019. The party's last split before this year was in February 2024, amid tensions between GM Quader and Raushan Ershad.