Dhaka: Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu) president Hasanul Haq Inu on Sunday urged his party colleagues, who floated another faction over a row about its leadership, to return to the party and remain united.

At a press conference at JSD’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office in Dhaka, he also assured the dissident leaders that they will be able to work with respect with respectable posts at the party if they return to it.

‘Such an attitude of Moniuddin Khan Badal, Sharif Nurul Ambia and Mostak Hossain is unfortunate at a time when Bangladesh is passing through a critical time… I’m openly urging you to return to the party putting aside confusion for the sake of the party,’ Inu said.

Earlier on Saturday, JSD, led by Inu, split into two factions following a row over the formation of party’s new committee at its national council that began on Friday at the Mohanagar Natya Mancha.

The councillors elected Inu as president while lawmaker Shirin Akhter general secretary by voice votes at the council session on Saturday night. A group of JSD leaders, led by Badal and Sharif Nurul Ambia, revolted against Inu’s move to make Shirin Akhter as general secretary without a vote.

They boycotted the party’s council session and later declared formation of a new committee at the Jatiya Press Club making Sharif Nurul Ambia its president while Nazmul Haque Pradhan general secretary and Badal executive president.

Earlier in the day, Badal told reporters that JSD faced the split due to Inu’s ‘partiality and lack of transparency’.

Inu, also the information minister, said a group of party leaders left the council room mysteriously during its leadership election on Saturday.

He also said Badal, Ambia and Mostak are apparently helping the extremists and the opponents of the Awami League-led grand alliance by creating a chaos in the party.

The minister also hinted to sit with dissident JSD group to remove their misunderstanding.

Replying to a question, Inu said some people wanted to take a decision to quit the grand alliance, but the councillors turned down it.

As his attention was drawn to Badal’s allegation that their party suffered the split due to his waywardness and lack of transparency, the minister said it is a false allegation.