I was relieved from JaPa illegally: MP Ziaul Haque Mridha 

Brahmanbaria-2 MP Ziaul Haque Mridha has claimed that the move to relieve him from all Jatiya Party (JaPa) posts and activities was "illegal."

He made the remarks during a press briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the capital on Wednesday morning. 

He said, "Article 20.1 (Ka) of JaPa's constitution [under which Mridha was relieved from his post] is worse than slavery.

"Using this article many have been sacked from the party without any justification."

His comments come a few days after a Dhaka court had ordered JaPa Chairman GM Quader to refrain from party activities following a case filed by Mridha.

"Raushon Ershad's JaPa is the real party. I was relieved from my post illegally." 

Mridha urged the present JaPa chairman to step down from his post immediately.

Mridha's removal came at a time when a conflict between GM Quader and Raushon Ershad has surfaced recently over the control of the party ahead of the next general election.

On 31 August last, JaPa Chief Patron and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Raushon suddenly convened the party's national council for 26 November.

A day later, Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party wrote to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury requesting her to make Quader the leader of the opposition, dropping Raushon.

In a statement on 2 September, GM Quader said a third party was trying to implement an agenda by using the name of Raushon.

On 3 December 2018, then JaPa Chairman and Founder HM Ershad appointed Ranga its secretary general removing Ruhul Amin Hawlader.

After Ershad's death, current party chairman GM Quader made party co-chairman Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu its secretary general removing Moshiur Rahman Ranga from the post on 26 July 2020.

As Bablu passed away, party co-chairman Mujibul Haque Chunnu was appointed as Jatiya Party's secretary general on 10 October last year.