DHAKA, 2 August 2006 — Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman H.M. Ershad said he would not tolerate anyone in the party ranks defying his decision to join the ruling coalition. His warning came at a meeting here with grass root-level leaders from Comilla, Chandpur and Brahmanbaria districts.
On the issue of joining the four-party alliance, the former president said: “I have only shared my views with the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party high-ups and it (the matter of JP joining the coalition) has yet to be finalized. However, I hope we will be able to reach a consensus.” Many of the JP rank and file, meanwhile, said they will back the party chairman in whatever decision he takes regarding electoral alliance. They believe Jamaat-e-Islami will not be a factor in the national election if JP joins hands with the ruling BNP.
“It’s quite natural that he [Ershad] would like to continue political activities with honor and he would not want to be in jail again and that is why he is thinking of siding with the ruling coalition,” said Ibrahim Khan, organizing secretary of Chandpur district unit of National Workers’ Party, a labor front of JP.
Mustafizur Rahman, joint secretary of Comilla (North) JP, said: “The Jamaat has no position in Comilla and I think they are in fact a threat to the country.”
Referring to the speeches of Jamaat leaders, Ershad said: “The party (Jamaat) will be banned if Awami League comes to power again. So, they should rather think about their future.”
On the recent comments by Awami League President Hasina Wajed, he said: “She has called me a thief which I’m not and have never been. I never tried to take the Gonobhaban (prime minister’s official residence) when I was in power and everybody knows about the million dollar corruption in the purchase of MiG-29s and a frigate. I was not involved in corruption and neither did I kill anyone.”
Col. (retired) Tofazzal Hossain, leader of Comilla wing, said: “Not only should the party talk about the post of president, it should be cautious about seat sharing as well.”
Meanwhile, the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed yesterday ruled out the possibility of withdrawing corruption cases against Ershad saying: “The judiciary would follow its own course.”
Moudud made the remark at a press conference in Dhaka in reply to a question about the speculation that the government had reached an understanding with Ershad to withdraw the corruption cases against him if he joins the ruling alliance. Moudud termed the question a hypothetical one and said that he was unaware of any such understanding. “I do not think there was such an understanding with him.”
