Dhaka, Dec 25 (bdnews24.com) - A faction of Jatiya Party (Ershad) led by former deputy prime minister Shah Moazzem Hossain joined the BNP Monday.
At the same ceremony, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia nominated Shah Moazzem as four-party alliance candidate for the Sreenagar-Sirajdikhan seat in Munshiganj.
More than 500 leaders and workers accompanied Shah Moazzem to the ceremony at Khaleda's Hawa Bhaban office.
JP presidium members Syeda Razia Fayez, Monsur Ali Sarker, Ismail Hossain Bengal, Khandker Mahtabuddin and MA Hannan are among the 49 leaders who defected to the BNP fold.
"This is my last address, my last party. I have kept mum so long. When I saw a certain leader wants to establish democracy with oars, I could not remain inactive and joined the BNP," Shah Moazzem said.
"I was the secretary general of Jatiya Party for nine years, but now its leader Ershad has deviated from ideology and entered an entente with the communists," he said.
Khaleda said: "We don't believe in going to power by any means."
"We will go to power with people's support. The BNP is not going through bad days. Leaders and workers are now joining the BNP, as politics cannot be devoid of ideals.
"The BNP is a party based on ideology. Its ideals are Bangladeshi nationalism and Islamic values," she said.
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