Jatiya Party Chairman Hussein Muhammad Ershad was picked up by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) from his Baridhara residence late Thursday night.
Jatiya Party leader Shahidul Islam confirmed the matter to the Dhaka Tribune. This Dhaka Tribune correspondent also witnessed the incident.
However, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) said Ershad was 'escorted' to Combined Military Hospital inside Dhaka Cantonment after “falling sick.”
The move comes a day ahead of December 13, the last date for submission of nomination papers and after the execution of war criminal Abdul Quader Molla.
Rab-1 commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Kismat Hayat denied that HM Ershad was detained. “Our duty is to provide security to the diplomatic, VIP areas.”
“When we saw him going somewhere, our forces provided him escort,” he said. “The media misunderstood and thought that we detained him.”
Ershad had a swollen feet, he said citing reasons as to why the Jatiya Party chairman was taken to hospital.
“He (Ershad) is our former president, he deserves the security escort and it is also our responsibility,” the Rab official said.
After law enforcers were deployed around his house earlier, the former military ruler had threatened of coming suicide if “anyone attempted to outwit him.”
However, ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, secretary general of the Party, also told journalists at a briefing around at 2:20am on Friday in front of his Gulshan residence, Ershad was taken to hospital for treatment.