JP only option before people, says Ershad

Jatiya Party Chairman H M Ershad and former prime minister Kazi Zafar Ahmed at the 'unity conference' at the Mohanagar Natyamancha yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

The former president made the remark while addressing a 'unity conference' of JP in the city's Mahanagar Natya Mancha where more than 20 leaders of the two other JP factions of Anwar Hosssain Monju MP and Naziur Rahman Monzur joined the mainstream party.

Ershad said the process of returning to 'their own destination' (his JP) has only begun and will go on. He urged other JP leaders, who are still away, to sink all differences and join his party for the grater interest of the people.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Ershad predicted that with the return of the leaders, Jatiya Party in the next one year will be stronger and ride to power with people's mandate.

He said as the Awami League (AL) has lost credibility after its April 30 deadline for the overthrow of the BNP-led government fizzled out, only Jatiya Party can live up to the public exceptions.

Among the leaders who returned to JP are former prime minister Kazi Zafar Ahmed, Sunil Gupta, Mostafa Jamal Haider, Fakir Ashraf, Khandakar Mahtab Hossain, Mainuddin Bhuiyan, Matiur Rahman, Ismail Hossain Bengal and M Nazimuddin. They have all been made presidium members.

Ershad inaugurated the conference at about 5:00pm although it was scheduled for a 3:00pm start. At the inaugural session, Kazi Zafar read out a JP declaration and said by setting the April 30 deadline for the fall of the government, AL has put the entire opposition programmes on a weak footing.

In such circumstances, Bangladesh needs an alternative political power and an alternative political government and only JP is the competent alternative at present before the public, Zafar observed.