The HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party will announce its election manifesto today at 10am in the capital’s Hotel Sonargaon.
Joint Office Secretary Abul Hasan Ahmed Jewel confirmed this to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Ershad had earlier declared that he would not take part in the upcoming elections slated for January 5.
However, party sources claim that Ershad had told the leaders to take part in the polls. They have been campaigning under the leadership of party’s senior Presidium member Rawshan Ershad, also wife of the party chief.
JaPa’s Research and Strategy Wing in a statement yesterday said its head Bobby Hajjaj, also a special adviser to Ershad, had conducted a video conference with the party leaders and assured them that Ershad was not a part of the polls.
Soon after Ershad’s arrest on December 12, the wing in a statement claimed that it had stopped its activities because of unknown reasons.
Meanwhile, police yesterday barred JaPa from holding any founding anniversary programmes in the capital.
JaPa Dhaka Metropolitan (north unit) arranged the programme at a convention centre in Gulshan 1 in the morning with party’s Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader and Presidium member GM Quader as guests. Both are ministers in the current “all-party” polls-time government.
The unit’s president, HM Faisal Chishti, alleged that the police had forced everyone out of the venue and taken away the banners.
Presidium member Delawar Hossain Khan said the police had also obstructed the party men from organising any programmes in the central office at Kakrail. He alleged that no one had been allowed to enter the office premises since morning.
