Prime Minister’s International Affairs Advisor Gowher Rizvi met HM Ershad on Sunday along with his wife and daughter at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) amid intense speculation whether the Jatiya Party chief was indeed ill or detained.Ershad was hospitalised under ‘RAB escort’ on Thursday night after his dramatic declaration to stay off the Jan 5 parliamentary elections amid strained ties with the Awami League.
His party men made conflicting comments to the press. While some said he had been detained, others said he had taken ill.
RAB said they escorted him to the hospital after the JP said he was feeling unwell.
But Rizvi’s nearly an hour-long meeting from about 5.30pm came at a time when the ruling Awami League was all set to win the Jan 5 elections which the major opposition, the BNP, is staying away.
As a key ally of its current regime, the Awami League wants Ershad to stay in the elections.
Rizvi’s wife presented a bouquet to the former military ruler, who was seen smiling. He looked quite relaxed in sleeping gown.
But no-one was ready to divulge what transpired in the meeting, giving a new twist to the unfolding pre-election drama.
Rizvi is the first leader from the Awami League’s policy-making level to meet Ershad.
A day after Ershad was taken to the CMH, the PM’s advisor Rizvi along with senior Awami League leaders also met his wife Raushan Ershad who decided to take part in the elections.
The Awami League was desperate to keep its ally Ershad in the elections particularly after the BNP declared its boycott.
Ershad announced his party’s boycott a day after his party leaders filed their nominations in the first week of this month.
His party joined the multil-party cabinet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina installed for elections oversight, but later Ershad asked his party’s fiver ministers and one prime ministerial advisor to resign from the cabinet.
Ershad also announced that his party men would withdraw their nomination papers but later it was found that at least 15 of them remained as the sole candidate, meaning they will be elected uncontested.
Even, Ershad’s own application to withdraw his nomination from Rangpur-3 constituency has been rejected on technical grounds, leaving him as a contender for the seat in the polls.
Ershad’s younger brother GM Quader and party’s Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader had, however, said on Friday morning that the Jatiya Party would not be part of the next elections.-bdnews24.com
