Ershad denies
Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad yesterday denied holding any separate meeting of its parliamentary body at his parliament office on Sunday.
Also a special envoy to the prime minister, Ershad in a statement said some JP lawmakers just called on him at his room after the JP parliamentary party's meeting, with Leader of the Opposition Raushan Ershad in the chair.
Widely known as an unpredictable character for his flip-flops on political issues, the former military ruler claimed that he could not attend the meeting due to an ailment. Most of the mainstream media yesterday published and aired news that Ershad and some of his loyal MPs, including the JP Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, boycotted the meeting due to conflicts with Raushan over a number of issues including appointment of the deputy leader of opposition.
In the release, Ershad claimed he had to visit the Combined Military Hospital in the city to check his health as he felt weak.
Contacted, a JP legislator said the party chairman just lied in the statement.
“We must have known if sir [Ershad] was sick,” he told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.
It was pressure from government high-ups which calmed down Ershad in his conflict with wife Raushan, he mentioned.
Ershad wants to see Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu as the deputy leader of the opposition while Raushan favours Kazi Feroz Rashid for the post, party insiders said.
At least seven JP lawmakers were present in Ershad's room when the JP parliamentary party was in the meeting between 3:45 and 5:15pm on Sunday at the opposition leader's office, just a floor up from Ershad's room which he has been allocated as a special envoy to the PM.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu said abstaining of Ershad and others from the meeting was their personal matter.
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