Jatiya Party’s Senior Co-Chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud has dismissed talk of renewed division in the party following a court order temporarily barring Chairman GM Quader from carrying out organisational duties.

He has instead emphasised “unity” within the party.

Anisul announced the party’s national conference would take place Saturday at the Emmanuel Convention Centre in Gulshan.

“There is no question of division here,” he said. “This is Ershad Sir’s 12th registered Jatiya Party Langol Marka Conference.”

On Jul 7, Quader dismissed 10 senior leaders, including Anisul, Co-Chairmen ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Office Secretary MA Razzak Khan, and Presidium Members Solaiman Alam Seth (Chattogram), Nazma Akhtar (Feni), Md Zahirul Islam Jahir (Tangail), Mostafa Al Mahmud (Jamalpur), Jasim Uddin (Netrokona), and Arifur Rahman Khan (Gazipur).

Those leaders later obtained a court order on Jul 31 suspending Quader and Joint Office Secretary Mahmud Alam from organisational activities.

A notice issued last Tuesday by the party’s office secretary, MA Razzak Khan, declared Quader removed and named Anisul acting chairman.

On Friday, Anisul appeared alongside ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader and Chunnu to announce the conference.

Chunnu said the presidium had moved quickly at its Tuesday meeting to set the conference date, aiming to “liberate” the party from “organisational stagnation” and prove it was not “an individual-centric party”.