Ershad says he was tortured for speaking against 4-party ‘graft’

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Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday said he and his party have been subjected to constant threats and torture for speaking out against what he said was unbridled corruption of the BNP-led four-party alliance.

“I am getting threats that I would be sent to jail and come out as a mere corpse,” the former dictator told the grand rally of the Awami League (AL)-led 14-party combine at Paltan Maidan.

“But I am a soldier, I am not scared of death,” said Ershad who for the first time joined a public programme of the AL-led combine.

“I’ve thrown off the shackles to express solidarity with the Awami League led grand alliance. I’m here today free as a bird,” he said in an emphatic voice.

He said he had to get over several hurdles to get to the rally ‘at this crucial juncture’.

He claimed that the JP leaders and activists have been the target of persecution since he decided to join the AL-led alliance.

Referring to the High Court’s (HC) recent verdict sentencing him to two years’ imprisonment, the former military ruler alleged the court has passed the order against him, giving him no chance to defend and without any hearing.

“This all was to make sure that I cannot participate in the election,” he added.

He noted that his ‘fault’ is that he has joined the ranks of common people at this critical point and raised his voice against torture and injustice.

“Whenever I tried to speak out against unbridled corruption and price hike during four-party alliance rule, they would bring pressure, threats, and torture to bear on me,” he observed.

He declared that from now on the JP will side with the AL-led combine in its movement.

He added: “A new horizon has been opened up today…Our victory is just around the corner.”

Although “no caretaker government did justice to him”, he is ready to forget the past, said Ershad, adding, “It is time to march forward, free the country.”

In his speech, the JP chairman made it clear that the grand alliance will not take part in the election until the network of ‘election engineering’ is dismantled, Election Commission reconstituted, voter roll corrected and published, and the administration reshuffled.

Saying that he had done many development works during his nine years in power, the former military ruler made a public apology for ‘mistakes if he had done any’ during his rule.

He said he is hopeful that the people will extend their support to him during his bad times.

Before joining the rally yesterday, Ershad went into hiding following pressure from a section of JP leaders led by his wife Rowshan Ershad.

Rowshan and some other pro-BNP leaders have been strongly opposing the move to join the AL-led alliance. They went all out to prevent Ershad from making a formal announcement to that end from yesterday’s grand rally.

Following his instructions from a hideout yesterday morning, JP leaders and workers joined the rally before their leader reached there. Senior JP leader Kazi Zafar Ahmed, Ruhul Amin Hawlader and GM Quader were among others on the dais.

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