No need to lose faith in Election Commission, says Ershad

Unlike the BNP, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad has expressed his confidence in Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda.

“He (KM Nurul Huda) has not done anything that may lead us to mistrust him.

“We will go by his call for any dialogue. Once the dialogue is over, we will know how credible the commission is,” said the former president.

Ershad was addressing a programme at his office on Sunday on the occasion of joining of two new members to his party. They are Eshtiaque Ahmed, group managing director of Ejab Group, and Badiuzzaman Baghu, chairman of Baliadangi Union in Thakurgaon.

The Election Commission recently announced its roadmap (work plan) for the next general elections scheduled for late 2018 or early 2019.

The 11th Parliamentary Elections must be held within the 90 days before Jan 28, 2019.

The CEC has said the commission would update and amend the road map upon talks with stakeholders such as civil society, media, political parties, polls observers, representatives of women's rights bodies and election experts.

The dialogue starts from Monday.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has rejected the road map and has described it as “a scheme to drag Awami League to power once again.”

BNP is also adamant in its demand for a poll-time assisting government.

On this, Ershad said: “We do not want any caretaker government as it has always neglected the Jatiya Party. We hope the election will be held as per the constitution.”

Jatiya Party Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader and its presidium member Maj (Retd) Khaled Akter were present at the programme.