The Jatiya Party (JPA) will fully support the interim government formed in the student uprising. This decision was taken at the presidium meeting held under the chairmanship of party chairman GM Quader at Banani office on Wednesday.
The opinion came from the meeting, it was wrong to participate in the last January 7 election without BNP. In response, GM Quader said that he had to participate in the election under compulsion. Sources of the meeting have given this information.
Sheikh Hasina’s 15-and-a-half-year authoritarian rule collapsed on August 5. On that day, Zapa was called along with other parties at Bangabhaban. But it was the anti-discrimination student movement that led the coup, angering the party by calling it an accomplice of fascism. After that, the party did not get a call to any other function of the government except the oath ceremony. In 2006, Zapa formed an alliance with Awami League.
The opposition party won 34 seats in the one-sided election on January 5, 2014. 22 MPs from Seva Party were elected unopposed. In the election of December 30, 2018, which is known as the night vote, Japa is once again the opposition party after getting 22 seats, almost four times that of BNP.
Although GM supported Quader in the quota reform movement from the beginning, Zapa’s participation in the coup was not visible except in Rangpur. Sources said that in order to decide what to do politically in the presidium meeting, discussions were held regarding organizational weaknesses, past elections, alliances with whom in the future and the position towards the current government.
According to sources, GM Kader said in the meeting that BNP and Awami League do not want to go with anyone for now. However, Japa leaders advised to stay with BNP in the next elections. In response, GM Quader said, now there is no more pressure, there is no obstacle. This is the perfect time to team up. Japa Senior Co-Chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Co-Chairman Bir Muktijodha ABM Ruhul Amin Howladar, Advocate Salma Islam and other senior leaders spoke at the meeting.