Jatiya Party senior Presidium member and its chief HM Ershad’s wife Rawshan Ershad will lead the opposition in parliament.
At a press conference at the parliament media centre, Rawshan Ershad yesterday said JaPa would join parliament as the opposition and the party chief would also take oath as an MP.
Asked about party MPs taking cabinet positions, she said: “We will be playing a responsible role as an active opposition party. We have not discussed among the party MPs yet about being ministers.”
She said all of the new JaPa MPs-elect had supported her as the leader of the opposition in parliament.
In reply to a question, she said: “Ershad told me that he used to be a Rawshan to lead opposition in parliament president, so he would not be the leader of the opposition.”
JaPa had participated in the 10th parliamentary election for the sake of constitution and democracy, she said.
Asked if an all-party government would be formed, she said there had been no discussions on the matter but the party would discuss it.
Rawshan said she had heard the telephone conversation between Hasina and Khaleda and they had failed to reach an agreement. A mid-term election could be held if all parties agreed, she added.
“All decisions for the development of the country should come from parliament,” she said.
JaPa called on everyone to stop conflict and violence and come to an understanding for a free and fair election with the participation of all parties, she said.
“That will resolve the prevailing political crisis.”
Before the press conference, the JaPa parliamentary body held a meeting at the parliament premises.
A JaPa leader present at the meeting said Rawshan had called Ershad during the meeting and requested him not to change his mind and to take oath as an MP. After the conversation, she looked upset for a few seconds but later announced that Ershad would take oath as an MP.
Rawshan told the press conference: “We participated in polls alongside him [Ershad].”
JaPa secured 13 constituencies in the 10th parliamentary elections held on January 5.
The main opposition boycotted the polls. The party demanded the polls should be held under a neutral, non-partisan government.
JaPa Chairman HM Ershad has been guiding party leaders from the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawshan said, adding that the JaPa chairman was now okay and doctors would release him as early as possible.
“Jatiya Party Presidium member and Ershad’s brother GM Quader is also with us,” she added.
Rawshan thanked journalists for reporting on JaPa in the past two months. “I came to know that reporters stood in front of my house for hours, but back then I had nothing to tell them, and I was not the party spokesperson.
“Today I have things to tell you and that is why we are holding this press briefing.”