The Jatiya Party chairman, HM Ershad, on Saturday lambasted media
reports which said that Ersahd had been removed and Rawshan Ershad had
been made the party’s acting chairperson.
Ershad just appeared in the waiting room on the ground floor of his
Baridhara house at noon and told newsmen that he would remain the Jatiya
Party chairman as long as he is alive.
A section of media had also reported that Ershad would be sent abroad for medical treatment and he went into retirement.
‘It is totally propaganda, it is baseless. I shall remain the chairman
of my party as long as I live,’ an angry Ershad said adding, ‘Some
television channels and newspapers carried false news against the Jatiya
Party with an ill intention.’
Ershad also reiterated his stance for boycotting the 10th parliamentary polls scheduled for January 5, 2014.
When Earshad was talking with newsmen at his Baridhara house crowded by
party activists, his wife Rawshan was holding a meeting at her Gulshan
house with four Jatiya Party leaders who joined the cabinet led by prime
minister Sheikh Hasina.
Rawshan, also the health minister, had a two-hour meeting with water
resources minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, state minister for women and
children affairs Salma Islam and sports minister Mujibul Hoque Chunnu
and prime minister’s adviser Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu.
Rawshan, Anisul and Ziauddin did not submit resignation letters to
Ershad till filling of this report and they were unwilling to resign as
ministers and adviser right now, party insiders said.
‘I have asked them to submit their resignations to the prime minister’s office for submission to the president,’ said Ershad.
He said, ‘It is final that the Jatiya Party will not contest the polls
without participation of all political parties. I am firm and the
decision will not be changed.’
On December 3, Ershad had announced that the party would not contest the
polls as the `atmosphere for an inclusive election is absent.’ The next
day, he had asked the party leaders to resign from the polls-time
cabinet and the party’s parliamentary candidates to withdraw nomination
papers.
Commerce minister GMQader, also Ershad’s younger, told newsmen on
Saturday at the Ershad’s Baridhara house that he had not withdrawn the
nomination papers as directed by the party chief.
He said, `Withdrawal of nomination paper started today and it would
continue till January 13. There are some Jatiya Party candidates who
have withdrawn nomination papers.’
Jatiya Party leaders in the polls-time cabinet sought the prime
minister’s appointment to place their resignation in her hand, party
secretary general Ruhul Amin Howlader said.
`We wanted to meet the prime minister today but did not get appointment,
we would seek appointment tomorrow,’ Ruhul said adding, ‘We would
submit resignation letters to Sheikh Hasina whenever she gives an
appointment.’
On December 5, Ruhul, also civil aviation and tourism minister, GM
Quader, Mujibul Haque Chunnu and Salma Islam handed over their
resignation to Ershad for submission to the president.
Ershad had decided to submit those to the president but on Saturday he
asked his party leaders via short message system to submit their
resignations to the prime minister.
On Saturday morning, while going out from his house for Golf Club,
Ershad told newsmen, ‘I will not change my decision to boycott polls
even if the government sends me to jail.’ (source)