Bangladesh News

Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad yesterday said his party has not yet decided to join the ruling BNP-led four-party alliance.
“Time has not come yet to join any alliance,” Ershad told newsmen at Zia International Airport on his return from Saudi Arabia after a 13-day stay there for medical check-up and treatment.

The JP Chairman denied having any pressure to join the ruling alliance and said he had no talks about joining the ruling four-party alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid during his stay in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the deposed president told newsmen after a meeting with the delegation of National Democratic Institute (NDI) at a city hotel that his party would contest in all of the 300 constituencies if the main opposition Awami League does not take part in the upcoming elections.

There were speculations that Ershad would join the BNP-led four-party coalition after returning home from Saudi Arabia. The speculations came to the fore after dropping of three corruption cases against him.

At the airport, the JP chairman directed his party leaders and workers to prepare to contest the next parliament elections without any alliance. He, however, said they may contest the next election under a political coalition.

During his meeting with the visiting NDI delegation at Hotel Radisson in the city, Ershad discussed overall political situation including much-talked reform proposals placed by the AL and its 13 allies centring the upcoming parliamentary elections, the JP chairman told journalists after the meeting.