Ershad leads Jatiya Party to talks with Hasina

Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad has held a dialogue with Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in the ongoing series of talks between the ruling coalition and other political groups ahead of the general elections.

The chairman of the main opposition in parliament, who led a 34-strong Jatiya Party delegation, was expected to push for more seats for his party in the polls during the dialogue at the Ganabhaban on Monday.

He also expressed his wish two days before the planned dialogue, but leaders of both sides said they did not discuss the issue during the dialogue that ended after 9pm.

Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, while starting for the prime minister’s residence in the evening, said they had some specific points to discuss with Hasina.

He hoped the two sides would reach consensus on holding free, fair and acceptable elections.

Another Jatiya Party leader, State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperatives Md Mashiur Rahman Ranga, also said they would discuss the points to make the elections fair and acceptable.

Ershad, who is also a special envoy to the prime minister, started for the Ganabhaban from his Banani office at 6:15pm.

His wife - Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and the Jatiya Party’s Senior Co-Chairman Raushon Ershad - and Howlader were with him in the car.

The other members of the party’s delegation included Ershad’s brother and the party’s Co-Chairman GM Quader, Environment Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, and Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu.

Bangladesh Islami Front Chairman MA Mannan, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Mahfujul Haque, Jatiya Islami Mohajote Chairman Abu Naser Qahed Faruq, and BNA Chairman Sekendar Ali Moni, who are members of the Jatiya Party-led United National Alliance, were also in the team.

Jatiya Party contested in the ninth general elections in alliance with the Awami League. It became the main opposition party in parliament after the BNP boycotted the election in 2014.

Despite being the opposition in parliament, Jatiya Party has three of its members serving as minister and state ministers while Ershad has been appointed as the special envoy to the prime minister.

The government refused to sit for dialogue with the BNP despite its repeated requests but the prime minister recently agreed for talks on ‘constitutional issues’ with the new political alliance Jatiya Oikya Front led by Dr Kamal Hossain.

She sat with the Oikya Front, of which the BNP is a part, on Nov 1 and agreed to sit again with them on Wednesday after the talks with the leftist parties.

Hasina also held talks with the Jukto Front alliance led by Bikalpadhara Bangladesh chief AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury.