With the Jatiya Party heading for a formal split, war of words and statements and counter-statements by senior leaders of the party have further compounded the crisis.

The JP leaders, in their statements over the last five days, strongly criticised each other for their political and personal roles.

Senior vice-chairman of JP Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury led the way when he issued a statement on Friday (Jan 30) after JP Chairman HM Ershad called him (Mizan Chowdhury) “bankrupt" at a function on Wednesday.

Chowdhury, without naming Ershad, had said that some “dishonest" people who Joined politics coming out from army barracks were "mainly responsible for the political wilderness and bankruptcy blocking the way for healthy politics".

“Such politicians often warn opposition parties of public wrath. This is ridiculous. They can not realise what the public wrath really is as they were hurriedly taken to safe custody after being ousted from power. Law could not take its due course against them for different reasons." Mizan Chowdhury had said.

Chowdhury's statement evoked sharp reaction. Three JP Presidium members — ABM Shahjahan. Kazi Firoz Rashid and Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar - in a Joint statement on Saturday said it was a serious violation of party constitution

and defhanded his expulsion from the party.

They also said the statement was aimed at foiling the opposition movement. Mlzan Chowdhury had split Awami League to make his own fortune He was all praise for Ershad for one and a half decades only for position in the party. Now he (Mizan) is criticising him (Ershad). This is an ill-effort to foil the oppositions movement". they said.

Countering this, seven mid-ranking leaders of the JP in a statement on Sunday said the three Presidium members were "conspirators" and alleged that they were trying to split the party by misleading the Chairman and adopting various strategies.

They also brought other allegations against the three presidium members. They alleged that ABM Shahjahan was instrumental in the killing of "an unspecified number of people" in the name of Gano Bahini. He took a huge amount of money 'from the party during 1991 elections but lost his security money in two parliamentary seats he contested. He is skilled in the politics of splitting parties. He split the USD and is now trying to split the JP, they alleged .

Kazi Firoz Rashid had met Ershad in jail as a special envoy of Khaleda Zia to persuade the JP chief to participate in the "farcical" election in February 15. 1996, the seven JP leaders alleged. Firoz got nominations to contest from Gopalganj and Dhaka but he "sold out the two seats to Awami League for money", they alleged. "He has no business now except splitting the party, they alleged.

The seven leaders claimed that-Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar’s only desire is to return to Awami League through Dr Malek. "What can he do when Sheikh Hasina rejected his proposal to return to AL?".

They urged party Chairman HM Ershad to remain alert about the vested quarters and protect the party from conspirators.

The seven signatories to the statement are Shafiqul Islam Babul. Abdur Rouf Shikder, Sadek Siddique. Sohrab Ali, Shafiqul Islam Sentu. Abul Bashar Abu and Adnan Akhter.