'Ershad picked up for seeking fair polls'

Ruhul Amin Howlader. Star file photo

 Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad has been picked up because of his repeated calls for a fair and transparent parliamentary election, the JP secretary general alleged today.

"The way he was taken to hospital…it is normal that the leaders and activists would be furious,” ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader said at a press briefing at the party’s Banani office this afternoon.

He also insisted that as long as Ershad is alive, the party leaders do not expect anyone else to lead the Jatiya Party.

“We will act upon the directives of Ershad only,” the JP leader said.

Asked whether aspirant JP lawmakers have withdrawn their nomination papers as per Ershad’s order, Howlader said that most of the papers have already been withdrawn.

“We will issue an official notification in this regard by tonight,” he said.

In another press briefing earlier in the day, Howlader said JP is firm on not joining next general elections scheduled to be held on January 5 as per the decision of Ershad.

GM Quader, a presidium member of Jatiya Party, who also spoke at the press briefing, said that the JP was always in favour of taking part in the polls.

“Now in this situation, Ershad’s decision is final,” Quader said.

“If anybody takes part in the polls going against the decision of party chief, the organisation would take steps against whoever he or she is,” he warned.

Replying to a query about whether Raushan Ershad was acting as the party chief in absence of Ershad, the JP leader asked newsmen to go to her to find out the answer.

Intelligence members picked up Ershad from his Baridhara residence and took him to the CombinedMilitaryHospital last night.

JP sources said Ershad was picked up as part of the government move to force him to participate in the election.

But Rab-1 Commander Kismat Hayat said the JP chief was feeling sick and they just provided him security on his way to CMH.

The development came just hours after a meeting between the ruling Awami League high-ups and three JP leaders — Raushan Ershad, Anisul Islam Mahmud and Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu — at the Gono Bhaban.