Jatiya Party (JP) chief HM Ershad has appointed his brother GM Quader as the party’s acting chairman.

The former military detector, who founded the JP on Jan 1, 1986, made the announcement at a press briefing at his residence ‘President Park’ in the city’s Baridhara on  Saturday (May 4).

JP Presidium member Fakhrul Imam confirmed Bangla Tribune on the matter.

Ershad said that due to his illness he is unable to manage party affairs as a chairman and put his brother, GM Quader, in-charge.

GM Quader was the co-chairman of the party.

The move is expected to draw angry reaction from supporters of Ershad’s wife and the party’s Senior Co-Chairman Rowshan Ershad. They always objected to Ershad's plan to make Quader his successor in the Jatiya Party.
The conflict in the party over Ershad’s successor, however, has long been making headlines.
Ershad had tried to install Quader as his heir in the party several times but failed due to objection by Rowshan’s supporters.
On Apr 6, Ershad made GM Quader as the acting party chief in his absence.
Earlier on Apr 4, Ershad had reinstated his brother GM Quader as the party co-chairman.
On Mar 23, he picked Rowshan Ershad, senior co-chairman of the party, as the deputy leader of the opposition in parliament, relieving GM Quader of the post.
Known for changing decisions every now and then, Ershad sacked Quader citing his “failures” to run the party on Mar 22.
Quader, Ershad’s younger brother, was made party co-chairman in 2016. The ailing JaPa chief, who frequently travels abroad for medical treatment, also announced in January that Quader would be the acting chairman in his absence.