Ershad skips voting for illness

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad could not cast his vote in the 11th parliamentary election due to his illness, reports bdnews24.com.

Ershad, who returned home from Singapore four days before the voting after treatment for dropping haemoglobin, was yet to recover fully, the party's Office Secretary Sultan Mahmud said on Sunday.

The former military dictator is listed as a voter in his stronghold, the Rangpur-3 constituency, he is contesting for. He could not campaign in the area due to the illness.

He had also submitted nomination papers for the highly sought Dhaka-17 seat and another constituency in Satkhira, but later left the race to ensure a victory for the Grand Alliance candidates nominated by its key ally the ruling Awami League.

The former president started a drama again before the election this time by changing decisions, which is not new for him.

Within hours into his announcement that the Grand Alliance's decisions on candidacy are final for the Jatiya Party, Ershad made a dramatic U-turn three days before the vote.

Claiming that the media had 'misquoted' him, he said the Jatiya Party candidates will be in the race separately along with those nominated by the Grand Alliance

The Awami League left 26 seats for the Jatiya Party to fight in the election, but Ershad fielded almost 150 other candidates with the 'plough' symbol.

The move has angered Awami League grassroots leaders, but top leaders said it aimed to have the Jatiya Party in the opposition again if the BNP pulls out of the election at the eleventh hour.