Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad, who had previously announced on several occasions of boycotting the upcoming polls without the BNP’s participation, has now said the elections were the only way of power transfer, hinting his desire to take part in the 10th parliamentary elections.
While addressing the council of his party’s youth front Jubo Sanghati in Dhaka yesterday, Ershad said his party was in a “dilemma” on whether to contest or boycott the polls.
Claiming himself to be the country’s most popular leader, the former military dictator said: “What will I do with this popularity unless utilised? I can win the polls by exploiting the popularity. Using this popularity in the polls, I can make the tortured-people free.”
Saying the nation was now directionless, Ershad said: “I cannot sit idle leaving the nation in the labyrinth.
“How will the government hand over power unless the elections take place? The only way we have to come to power is by defeating [the other parties] through polls,” he said.
The former autocrat claimed that the people wanted a “relief” from Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, who both did not recognise the citizens as “human beings.”
“We want the country to be free… We will free the people by winning the fight of ballot,” he said.
Ershad said people would term him a “traitor” if his party took part in the polls with the Awami League-led grand alliance.
“On the other hand, an unconstitutional government will come to power if there is no election. We are facing a dual problem,” said the Jatiya Party chairman.
Saying the Jatiya Party would form an alliance to compete in the polls, Ershad claimed that people across the country had been waiting to vote for his party if it aligned with other parties (excluding the Awami League and the BNP).
GM Quader, Ershad’s younger brother and party presidium member, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been in talks with former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, Dr Kamal Hossain, Kader Siddiqui and ASM Abdur Rob to form an alliance.
Quader said their party chief would hold meetings with other parties and announce a new alliance for competing in the elections.