JP won't take responsibility for govt's corruption: Ziauddin Ahmed

Despite holding ministerial positions in the government, Jatiya Party Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu says his party will not take any responsibility for the “corruptions and misrule” of the current regime.

His remarks came on Friday after Chairman HM Ershad recently announced that possible resignation of the party ministers from the Cabinet was being discussed.

Workers Party, which is a member of the Awami League-led 14-Party Alliance, earlier had also denied taking any blame for the corruptions in the government.

At a press briefing at JP's Banani headquarters, Bablu said, "We joined the government for strategic reasons. You all know what the country's situation was at this time last year."

"Democracy and the Constitution would have been harmed if we hadn't joined the election. We agreed to take part in the polls to uphold democracy and the Constitution and to maintain peace.

"We are in the government for national unity. But we are not a part of the government's corruption, misrule and partisanship in the administration. We will not take responsibility for these," Bablu stressed.

After the Jan 5 national elections, boycotted by the BNP, Jatiya Party became the main opposition party in the 10th Parliament with the second highest seats.

Apart from several party leaders getting Cabinet berths, HM Ershad was made Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's special envoy.

But within one year into his appointment, the JP chief has been harshly criticising the government and recently even announced to pull out his party leaders from the Cabinet.

Regarding the pulling out, the secretary general Friday said, "The issue the chairman has announced will be discussed in the Presidium forum. You (journalists) will be informed of the final decision at the right time."

Backing Ershad, he added, "Resignations (from the Cabinet) will come when we'll understand what the people want. Ousting a government through movement is not a democratic process."

"We won't make any hasty decision."

Ziauddin Ahmed Babalu also said that the party would be holding a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on Jan 1.

The Jatiya Party chairman would announce year-long programmes at the rally, he said.