The latest political stance of the reunited Jatiya Party, the main opposition in the National Parliament, has given a breakdown of the design to destabilize the situation in the country, and the anti-government movement of BNP, Jamaat and some other like-minded minor political parties.
The re-emergence of the reunited Jatiya Party has also demoralised the said parties, and poured water on their warm up movement.
The Jatiya Party is playing the role of the main opposition party in the national parliament with 29 seats while another opposition party BNP had only six seats. Recently all the BNP lawmakers have resigned and that is why the party now has no affiliation with the parliament.
Besides, the BNP and Jammat are now running anti-government movements with some other parties, most of which have not even registered with the Election Commission.
This situation has developed as the Jatiya Party on Sunday cleared its stance in favour of the next 12th general election as per the Constitution. The main opposition party in the parliament also said that it would take part in the next election in all 300 seats of the country.
It is known to all that BNP, Jammat and their like minded rubber stamp-based parties had been trying to form a bigger anti-government platform as part of their attempt to oust the Awami League government and form a caretaker government.
The BNP, Jamaat and some other minor political parties had tried their best to forge a simultaneous movement against the government with support of the main opposition in the National Parliament, Jatiya Party.
They had tried to take advantage of the feud between Roushan Ershad, the opposition leader in the parliament and also the chief patron of the main opposition Jatiya Party, and Jatiya Party chairman GM Quader, the deputy leader in the parliament.
The BNP, Jamaat and some like-minded minor political parties had tried to co-opt Jatiya Party in their anti-government movement when Roushan Ershad had been absent in the country for treatment.
But, all of their efforts went in vain when opposition leader Roushan Ershad returned home from Bangkok after her treatment. Her firm stance has not only brought changes in the country's politics, but also created a new polarisation.
She has almost become able to reunite the leaders of Jatiya Party and brought a new flow of democratic politics in the country instead of violence and anti-constitutional moves by BNP-Jamaat and other elements.
A feud between Roushan Ershad and GM Quader had started over taking the helm of the party when Jatiya Party founder and former president HM Ershad fell sick in early 2019. The conflict reached its peak following the demise of Ershad in July 2019.
Since then, the rift between the pro-Raushan and pro-GM Quader factions has been making headlines on a regular basis.
But, the long standing feud between the two leaders has almost ended. In the presence of Jatiya Party chairman and its chief patron, JP top leaders of the party on Sunday said there were no divisions between GM Quader and Raushan Ershad as the party was united under their leadership.
Leaders of the main opposition made the comments while addressing a programme marking JP's 37th founding anniversary in front of the party's central office in the capital's Kakrail.
JP chief patron Raushan, spoke at the programme as the chief guest.
GM Quader refrained from speaking due to a top court's verdict. On December 14, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's judgement that barred Quader from performing his duties as the JP chairman.
On December 13 last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a meeting with Raushan and Quader called upon them to resolve their longstanding conflict and strengthen the JP to join the next election independently.
Speaking at Sunday's event, Raushan said the next national election would be held as per the constitution and the JP would take part in it.
"We will have to strengthen and take forward the Jatiya Party unitedly. Forgetting all dismay and disappointment, we will have to prioritise the party's interest instead of the personal one," she said amid applause from the party's leaders and activists.
Raushan added that the JP would do constructive politics in the country.
She also called upon the party men to evaluate dedicated and tested leaders in the next council and bring them into the party's leadership positions.
JP Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu said JP leaders and activists were relying on Raushan and Quader to get rid of the ongoing misrule, looting and corruption.
He said the JP would nominate candidates in 300 seats in the next polls.
Anisul Islam Mahmud, JP senior co-chairman, said, "We are not against the government. We also dream the same as does the government. As the main opposition party, we want to make the parliament effective. Together, we want to take the country forward."
There is no division in the JP as the party is united under the leadership of Raushan and Quader, he said. "We are organised and united. None will be able to split the Jatiya Party."
The JP was formed on January 1, 1976 and its chairman, military dictator HM Ershad had been in power for more than nine years, but stepped down from power in December of 1990 in the face of a mass movement.