Get ready for polls, Ershad asks party men

Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad asked on Sunday his party men to take all-out preparations for the next general election as people want to get rid of Awami League and BNP, reports UNB.  

"People have not forgotten me. They're looking for a change…they're waking up. So, we don't have time to rest now. I'm going to different parts of the country. You also don't sit idle. Now every minute is valuable for us as we don't have much time in our hands," he said.  The former military ruler made the remarks while exchanging views with leaders of Jatiya Sramik Party at his Banani office.  Ershad, also a special envoy to the Prime Minister, alleged that the country is now run by as per the will of a single party. "People had a dream for democracy, but it has got shattered with the misrule of two parties (AL-BNP). Democracy means the rule of people, but now the country is under a one-party rule."

He deplored that people are not getting jobs as factories, including RMG ones, are being shut down. "The workers are getting killed in firings as no one cares about them."

Ershad also criticised the government for its failure to explore safe oversees job market for manpower export. "Lakhs of youths are jobless. They're being cheated while going abroad for jobs and getting addicted to drugs out of frustration." The Jatiya Party chief thanked the party men for attending the meeting defying hartal as it demonstrated their sincerity to the party.

Some Islamic parties enforced a daylong nationwide hartal demanding punishment of sacked minister Abdul Latif for his anti-Islamic comments.

Jatiya Party secretary general Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, presidium member Syed Abul Hossain Babla, SM Faisal Chisti h and Ershad's press secretary Sunil Shuvo Roy were, among others, present.