A section of Jatiya Party leaders who withdrew nominations on Ershad’s instruction are now set to break away from the Ershad-led Jatiya Party to form a new platform for doing politics.
The party insiders said many JaPa central leaders were ready to join the new faction led by Kazi Zafar Ahmed.
More than 10 presidium members of JaPa will join the new platform.
Several central leaders said they had started communicating with Kazi Zafar for this purpose.
“We are very happy to say many JaPa leaders who are now with the Ershad-led JaPa will join us soon. They are communicating with us,” ASMM Alam, presidium member of the JaPa, led by Kazi Zafar, told the Dhaka Tribune.
“We are not disclosing the names right now because it is confidential, but the names will come out soon,” he said.
Sources said Ahsan Habib Linkan, Saidur Rahman Tapa, Gulam Habib Dulal, Fakir Ashraf and five other Ershad-led JaPa presidium members were likely to join the Kazi Zafar-led JaPa.
“We fail to go to our own constituencies under the banner of Jatiya Party and the leadership of HM Ershad. Our voters and party activists cannot trust us and Ershad,” a JaPa presidium member said who withdrew his nomination on Ershad’s instruction.
“If we do politics in the name of Ershad, we will lose our political carrie. It is high time we took alternative decision to emerge as a new political platform.”
HM Ershad yesterday thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for appointing him as her special envoy.
In a party statement, he said he did not want any personal facilities as special envoy of the prime minister.
“I do not need a government residence and a vehicle. I want to discharge my duties with the facilities I am getting as lawmaker,” said Ershad.
“We have to move forward leaving behind the disgraceful events of the past. The prime minister has given me a seat on the board with the journey. I will try my best to keep up the honour,” he hoped.
JaPa Presidium Member Gulam Habib Dulal told the Dhaka Tribune: “We, who withdrew nomination papers, have lost everything following Ershad’s order. With innocent minds, we believed in him, but he [Ershad] played games with the dedicated party members. Now we are deviated from politics.”
Party’s another presidium member Ahsan Habib Linkan told the Dhaka Tribune, “HM Ershad issued the statement to get the February 10 verdict in his favour.”
A Dhaka court on Wednesday set February 10 for delivery of the judgment on Major General Manzoor murder case. Former military dictator HM Ershad is the main accused in the case.
JaPa Chief Ershad, earlier on several occasions, was wavering whether to join the 10th parliamentary poll.
However, following a month-long stay in the Combined Military Hospital, the JaPa chief returned to his residence “President Park” at Baridhara on January 12 after he took oath as a lawmaker.
As many as 215 candidates withdrew their nomination papers on Ershad’s instruction.
