Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told parliament that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia created scope for HM Ershad to take over in 1982 and she benefited from the Ershad rule.

“Sattar [Justice Abdus Sattar] was the acting chairman of BNP. Though Khaleda Zia didn’t join politics at that time, she suddenly made a statement calling for the ouster of Sattar from the post of chairman. I would like to say that Khaleda Zia created scope for Ershad to grab power in 1982,” she said.

She also said calling military rulers like Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad president was illegal in line with a verdict of the High Court.

The PM made the remarks during a discussion on the condolence motion on late opposition leader HM Ershad and others in the Jatiya Sangsad.

“This is why General Ershad gave not only two houses but also many other benefits, including Tk 10 lakh in cash, to Khaleda,” she said.

This is why the BNP did not hold trial of the Zia killing case at the time. After many years, maybe in 1991, Khaleda Zia blamed Ershad for the killing of her husband, the PM said.

Hasina said Justice Abdus Sattar was the BNP candidate in the 1981 presidential election. In fact, the then Army Chief General Ershad had made Sattar candidate.

In a foreign newspaper, Ershad announced Sattar as his candidate. But the Awami League raised objection to such a candidature and demanded the election be held in a fair manner for the sake of continuation of democracy, she said.

Noting that the HC declared the grabbing of power by Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad illegal, the PM said calling them president was illegal.

The obituary reference of the Parliament on HM Ershad, however, referred to him as the “former president”, “successful statesman” and veteran politician.

Hasina said Ershad was an amicable person. About the Ershad regime, she said if the 1986 parliamentary election was held in a free and fair manner, Ershad would not have become controversial.

Almost no party joined the 1988 parliamentary election and he was forced to step down amid a popular movement in 1990, said Sheikh Hasina.

She said the BNP also held such an election on February 15, 1996, when Khaleda Zia was in power. Almost no party joined that election. Though Khaleda announced herself as the elected prime minister, she failed to stay in power in the face of people’s movement, Hasina added.

“It means, no one can stay in power without the support and mandate of people.”

She then thanked Raushan Ershad for her role in the 2014 election which was boycotted by the BNP and several other parties.

“Although many quarters still try to raise questions about the election in 2014… If there was no participation of the people in the polls, we could not have stayed in power.”

Welcoming BNP MPs for joining parliament after being elected in the 2018 general election, the PM said the democratic trend cannot be strengthened without a strong opposition in parliament.

Awami League MP Mohammed Nasim said, “It was very unfortunate that when he [Ershad] was in power, he sheltered and patronised self-confessed killers of Bangabandhu, following the path of his predecessor Ziaur Rahman.”

The Jatiya Party was part of the AL-led grand alliance in 2008 and 2018 national elections.

After the 2014 polls, Ershad was made the special envoy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The JP became the opposition and Raushan became the leader of the opposition.