Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has officially recognized Jatiya Party's Co-Chairman Raushan as the leader of the official opposition in parliament and its Chairman GM Quader as the deputy leader.
The Parliament Secretariat issued a gazette to that effect dated September 8. It came after Quader wrote to Shirin on Sunday requesting that she approve the nominations for the two posts, an official at the speaker's office told media.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Jatiya Party Parliamentary Board at the Sangsad Bhaban.However, the party did not disclose their decision about the deputy opposition leader.
The leaders loyal to both GM Quader and Raushan had a meeting at a Baridhara Club on Saturday night and took some decisions to avoid the inevitable split in the party. JP leaders who attended the meeting include Kazi Firoz Rashid, Ziauddin Bablu, Abu Hossain Babla, Masud Uddin Chowdhury, Anisul Islam Mahmud, Fakhrul Imam and Mujibul Haque Chunnu. Party secretary general Moshiur Rahman Ranga announced the decisions at a press briefing at party chairman's Gulshan office yesterday.
Last week, both Raushan Ershad and GM Quader announced themselves as the chairman of Jatiya Party. GM Quader has been performing the duties of party chairman since the death of party founder Hussain Mohammad Ershad.