Ershad factor

Now, the same political parties are in the competition to make coalition with the Ershad-led JP to participate in the next general elections. The words and attitudes of our forthcoming political leaders from both the parties have made it quite clear. Tareq Zia, Joint Secretary of the BNP, has already met Ershad to convince him to make coalition with his party. On the other hand, Sajeeb Wajed Joy, son of Sheikh Hasina, said that if needed he would go to Ershad to convince him to make coalition with the AL.

It is so unfortunate for the nation.

All of us know that Bangladesh has been branded as one of the most corrupt country in the world for four consecutive years. Of course, the ruling party has always dismissed the ranking of corruption by TI saying that the report is based on unauthentic sources. They see no corruption. If this is true, how do the politicians become millionaires within a few years of being elected?

Of late, the BNP is trying to take Ershad into their election alliance. The media has reported that all corruption cases against Ershad would be withdrawn provided Ershad's JP unites with the BNP in the next elections.

The BNP-Jamaat government boasts of establishing the ACC to fight corruption. My question is if Ershad is acquitted of all corruption cases, what is the necessity of having the ACC? If Ershad gets this treatment, then other people charged with corruption should be acquitted from those cases.

Mallik Akram Hossain On e-mail