Jatiya Party chief patron Raushon Ershad will return home today after receiving treatment in Thailand.

She was scheduled to return home on October 29, but she could not come back as her doctor did not allow her to leave Bangkok, her aides said.

“Madam (Raushon Ershad) will return home from Bangkok tomorrow (Sunday) by Thai airways flight. She will arrive at 12noon. She will talk to journalists at the airport,” her political secretary Golam Mosih told the Daily Sun on Saturday.

Raushon Ershad, also leader of the opposition in parliament, will stay at hotel Westin. She is likely to hold a meeting with JP senior leaders and lawmakers there, party insiders said.

During her long stay abroad for her medical treatment, the party is divided into two factions -- one led by JP GM Quader and another by Raushon.

The conflict between the two factions has deepened due to some recent incidents.

Jatiya Party insiders said after the return of Raushon Ershad, the party will take a fresh turn as the internal conflict will be surfaced again for settling many pending issues of the party. Talking to the Daily Sun, a number of the party’s senior leaders expressed a view that they are hesitating to take side of the two leaders and they are also calculating their loss and benefits for taking the side.

They also think that GM Quader is working to quit relationship with the ruling Awami League while Raushon Ershad has blessings of the ruling party.
“Now I’m confused what can I do at this moment? I should take what side either Raushon or GM Quader?” a co-chairman of the party said.

Now, GM Quader remains under pressure due to a court order that barred him from taking any political decision as the party chairman.

At the same time, several cases have also been filed against him challenging his position and activities in the party.

In this situation, GM Quader has long been away from the party activities since after October 31, while the leaders loyal to him has also become upset due to his inaction and the legal barriers to him.

“Some senior leaders, including a co-chairman, misguided GM Quader and inspired him to take stand against the government,” a senior leader of Jatiya Party told the Daily Sun, wishing not to be named.

Insiders said a number of senior leaders who are still loyal to GM Quader are likely to join the Raushon-led faction while some changes may come in the party’s central committee and parliamentary party.

Leaders loyal to Raushon said they will start carrying out party activities in full swing after having the opposition leader amongst them and the party’s council session also will be rescheduled now.

“As per the party charter, Raushon madam as the party’s chief patron will run Jatiya Party now. GM Quader can’t perform as party chairman for court order and he also can’t give charge to any other person,” Moshiur Rahman Ranga, who has been expelled from the party, recently told the Daily Sun.

Ranga said Raushon will settle some pending issues as she is likely to declare party leader Abdur Rouf Manik as the party’s mayoral candidate to contest the Rangpur city corporation (RCC) polls.

AKM Abdur Rouf Manik, loyal to Raushon, has collected the party ticket for contesting the December 27 RCC electionwhile Jatiya Party has nominated incumbent mayor Mostafizur Rahman to run the race.

Talking to the Daily Sun, Jatiya Party secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu said they will not accept the decisions of Raushon Ershad.

“As per our party charter, she (Raushon) has no jurisdiction to take decision for the party. Only the party chairman and presidium body can take decision,” he said.

Golam Mosih, also member secretary of Jatiya Party's council preparatory committee, said, after her retuning, Raushon Ershad will decide the party’s council session.

Raushon Ershad on August 31 announced that the party’s 10th council session would be held in the capital on November 26 but later she postponed the council session.

Jatiya Party’s Parliamentary Party on September 1 handed over a letter to Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, requesting her to recognise GM Quader as the opposition leader.

The party also expelled Moshiur Rahman Ranga from all posts of the party on September 14 after he wrote to the Speaker that the letter was not submitted maintaining the proper procedure.

However, no decision has yet been taken about the request of the party chairman for the replacement of the opposition leader.

In a meeting of its presidium members and MPs with GM Quader in the chair, Jatiya Party on October 8 decided to expel Raushon Ershad from the party if she moves to hold the council session.