Dhaka, Dec 14 (The New Age): The ruling Awami League has failed to convince the Jatiya Party to
revise its decision to boycott the 10th parliamentary elections
scheduled for January 5, JP leaders told New Age.
The JP chairman, HM
Ershad, meanwhile on Friday night, said that he was not ill and had
been detained in the name of treatment in Combined Military Hospital in
Dhaka since Thursday night.
Law enforcers picked up him from his house at Baridhara about 11:40pm on Thursday and took him to the CMH.
As
part of the Awami League’s efforts for a negotiation, Tofail Ahmed and
Gowher Rizvi met JP presidium member Rawshan Ershad at her hosue at
Gulshan in the evening.
JP presidium members Anisul Islam Mahmud and
Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu who are known to be inclined towards the Awami
League, also attended the meeting at Rawshan’s house.
After the
meeting with Rawshan that continued for an hour, Tofail, also the
industries minister, and Rizvi, the international affairs adviser to the
prime minister, left Rawshan’s house and told reporters that it was
just a ‘courtesy call.’
More than one JP presidium members confirmed
to New Age that Tofail and Rizvi had also spoken to Ershad at the CMH in
the evening but without any understanding being reached.
With
rumours rife for all day long over a split in the Jatiya Party, change
in the top leadership and participation in the national elections, the
JP secretary general, ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, at a press conference in
the afternoon told reporters that Ershad would remain chairman of the
party as long as he was alive.
‘Ershad was taken to the CMH as he was
demanding inclusive and neutral elections,’ Hawlader said. ‘Agitation
programmes will begin soon demanding the release of our leader.’
Ershad’s
younger GM Qader at another press conference in the afternoon told
reporters that his brother was quite well but he was taken to the CMH.
‘Ershad is, however, fine now. He will be allowed to come back home at
his will,’ Qader said but declined comments when he was asked whether
Ersahd was ‘arrested.’
The Jatiya Party will not contest the polls.
Ershad is the party chief,’ Qader said. ‘I met my brother at the CMH and
asked me to talk to the press to brief on his situation.’
‘All JP candidates have been asked to withdraw their nominations on time. This is the order of Ershad,’ Qader said.
Ershad
in a press statement, meanwhile, on Friday night said that he was not
ill and had been detained in the name of treatment in the CMH.
Ershad’s special adviser Bobby Hajjaj e-mailed the statement to journalists.
Ershad in the statement iterated his party’s stance on not participating in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
‘The
Jatiya Party will not contest the elections if all parties do not do
that. For this reason, party candidates have withdrawn their nomination
papers,’ according to the statement.
He also denounced JP leader
Mujibul Haque Chunnu’s acting as the party’s spokesperson and insisted
that Mujibul’s statements should be regarded as his personal views, not
the party’s.
‘I have not appointed anyone the party’s spokesperson. I will convey my messages to the media through Bobby,’ it said.
‘Do not be confused by statements, campaigns or propaganda from anyone else,’ the JP chief added.
Ruhul Amin Hawlader and GM Quader will lead the party in keeping with Ershad’s guidelines, the statement said.
Bobby told New Age that Ershad had told him to send the statement to the press.
Hundreds
of JP leaders and activists, meanwhile, gathered at the party office in
Dhaka, shouted slogan against the government for detaining their chief
and demanded his immediate release.
They said that their chief was quite well but had forcibly been taken to the CMH.
The expelled Jaitya Party presidium member Kazi Zafar in a statement in the evening demanded the release of Ershad.