Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad on Thursday urged the political parties to engage in talks shunning violence for finding out an acceptable way for holding a fair and inclusive election in the interest of the country. “Let’s sit together and create a congenial atmosphere…shun violence and let’s discuss how to hold a fair election,” he said. The deposed President made the call while addressing a grand rally of Jatiya Party at Suhrawardy Udyan, marking its 29th founding anniversary. Ershad, also a special envoy to the Prime Minister, threatened to wage a strong street movement if the government raises the prices of power oil and gas further. “We’ve heard the government is going to hike the prices of power, oil and gas. If it’s done, we’ll take to the streets coming out of parliament,” he said. The former military ruler also urged the government not to inflict sufferings on the poor by hiking the power and petroleum prices. Claiming that nearly Tk 14,000 crore has been siphoned off over the last few years, Ershad urged the government to bring the money back and use it in subsidizing the energy sector. Ershad narrated various development activities carried out during his tenure, and claimed that his government was legitimate one as per the country’s constitution. The Jatiya Party chairman lamented that the country now lacks good governance as corruption has spread to everywhere. He placed an 18-point point demand, including establishing provincial government, restoring good governance, freeing the judiciary and administration from politicisation, and educational institutions from terrorism, rooting out corruption, overhauling the electoral system, giving the Election Commission full independence, rescinding the decision to hike gas and power prices and banning destructive activities like hartal. “We present the 18-charter of demand to the government and it must materialise those. Or else, we together with people will wage a movement on the streets to realise our demands,” Ershad told the rally. –UNB, Dhaka.
