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Published : 04 Dec 2013, 07:57 PM
He said this while talking to reporters after a meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh at his residence in Dhaka’s Banani.
Ershad said the visiting Indian foreign secretary had told him that ‘undemocratic forces or the Jamaat-Shibir’ might gain ground if the elections were not held.
A day after deciding to boycott the polls, the former military ruler said, “I have told her that I too am against the rise of Jamaat-Shibir. But if that happens, then the government, and not I, will be responsible.”
The visiting Indian Foreign Secretary, Sujatha Singh, reached Ersahd’s President’s Park residence at 4pm. The meeting lasted almost an hour.
“It was a good meeting,” she told reporters after the discussions.
Around 20 minutes later, former President Ershad said that Singh had conveyed to him the Indian government's desire to see a fair election in Bangladesh.
"I have told her that it is not possible to hold elections under the present circumstances. The popularity of this government has dropped to zero. The people of the country are not with (Prime Minister) Sheikh Hasina.”
The Jatiya Party chief said Singh had enquired about the recent upsurge in violence in Bangladesh, and about possible ways to calm the situation.
‘I have told her that the situation will only get worse. I am worried about the security of my party leaders and activists.”
Ershad and his party candidates had filed nominations to take part in the elections scheduled on Jan 5. Monday was the last day for doing so.
In a surprise move on Tuesday Ershad said at press conference that his party would not go to polls because the BNP and many other parties were not being part of it.
He added an environment conducive to elections did not exist.
After his meeting with Singh, Ershad said, “My final word is that I am not going to polls. Withdraw your nomination papers if you have filed them. And I am urging those who are in the ‘all-party’ cabinet to resign.”
Ershad’s younger brother and Jatiya Party presidium member GM Quader was commerce minister in the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League-led Grand Alliance government.
Later, when Hasina formed an ‘all-party’ cabinet to oversee the next polls, Quader was retained as the Commerce Minister.
Ershad’s wife and party’s presidium member Raushan Ershad was made Health and Family Welfare Affairs Minister, Anisul Islam Mahmud Water Resources Minister and Jatiya Party Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister.
Two other Jatiya Party presidium members Md Mujibul Haque (Chunnu) was made State Minister for Youth and Sports and Salma Islam Women and Children Affairs Minister.
Besides this, Jatiya Party presidium member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu was made an advisor to the Prime Minister.
The PM's advisor enjoys the status of a minister.
