In S'pore, Ershad recovering slowly

Leader of the Opposition and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad is slowly recovering at a hospital in Singapore.

“I talked to him over the phone and enquired about his health. He told me that he is getting well and his physical condition is improving,” SM Faysal Chisti, a presidium member of the Jatiya Party, told this correspondent yesterday.

Ershad is taking meals regularly since Friday and gaining strength after being unable to eat enough for a while due to liver complications, said Faysal.

Ershad was special envoy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the last government. He was admitted to Singapore National University Hospital on January 20 with multiple complications including low haemoglobin.

Ershad's younger brother Hossain Morshed and his wife Roksana Khan Morshed and Ershad's Personal Assistant Maj (retd) Khaled Akhtar have been accompanying him there.

As he was leaving for Singapore, Khaled said, “His [Ershad] bilirubin count is high and he is also suffering from acute knee pain.

 “The JP chairman has hardly been able to take food properly for nearly a month due to liver complications which has further deteriorated his health.”

The acting chairman of the party GM Quader told The Daily Star last week that Ershad's liver condition was quite serious.

JP Secretary General Moshiur Rahman Ranga yesterday told a doa-mahfil at the party's Kakrail office that Ershad would probably return by January 30.

At another doa-mahfil last week, Quader said Ershad was able to walk without any assistance. 

The 89-year-old former military dictator had been undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for three months before he was taken to Singapore on December 10.

The JP took part in the December 30 election as part of the ruling grand alliance and bagged 22 seats. Ershad won in Rangpur 3.

But on January 4, he issued a statement saying he would act as the opposition leader, a day after his party decided to be part of the ruling alliance. The sudden change of mind surprised and aggrieved many JP lawmakers.

In the statement, he also appointed his younger brother Quader as deputy leader of the opposition.

Some JP lawmakers had been saying that Quader's leadership might face challenges from several MPs loyal to JP Senior Co-Chairperson Raushan Ershad, who was in favour of joining the government.

Over the last few days, several JP senior leaders have been remaining absent at the party events.