As many as 668 leaders and activists have resigned from the Jatiya Party in protest against what they call authoritarianism by Chairman GM Quader.

They include three top leaders loyal to Chief Patron Raushon Ershad who were recently sacked amid a struggle for control during the general election earlier in January.

Such mass resignations will continue, Vice-Chairman Zahangir Alam Pathan said at a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka where the leaders and activists gathered to announce their departure on Thursday.

Zahangir said Quader had promised them the Jatiya Party would contest the polls independently, but he did not deliver on his words.

“He tried to establish himself as a leader with his heated anti-government speeches. We also trusted him, but realised before the election that he was only trying to safeguard his interests by secretly forming an alliance with the government,” Zahangir said.

He accused Quader of “selling the party out” to the Awami League in exchange for 26 seats the ruling party had agreed to cede to them.

The leaders and activists objected to Quader’s activities and demanded the resignation of the chairman and Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Zahangir said.

Now they are quitting because Quader has taken the party to the brink of destruction, he added.

Despite the Awami League ceding 26 seats, the Jatiya Party won only 11 of 299 races, throwing its position as the main opposition in parliament into question.

Presidents and general secretaries of eight units and the wards under them attended the press conference.

Shafiqul Islam Sentu, who was recently relieved of his duty as a the Presidium member, said Quader treats the party as a “grocery where his syndicate give him accounts after daylong business”.

He demanded the resignation of Quader and Chunnu for “destroying the party”, alleging that Quader has no connection with grassroots-level leaders in the country.

“We will take the party forward with the ideals of [late party founder] HM Ershad. Please don’t try to stop us. You [GM Quader] don’t own the party.”

Yahya Chowdhury and Amanat Hossain, who were recently sacked as vice-chairmen, were also present.

Asked for his comments on the mass resignation of party workers, Secretary General Chunnu said authoritarianism has no place in the Jatiya Party although many have been alleging despotism in the party for a long time.

He also said the mass resignation will not affect the party because the number of its members has “increased overwhelmingly”.