Sayeed Muhammad of DOT
Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad did not take oath for the office yesterday reportedly due to his illness.
GM Quader, Ershad’s younger brother and also Jatiya Party co-chairman, confirmed that Ershad, a former military dictator, refrained from joining the swearing-in ceremony the House yesterday afternoon, reports The Daily Star.
Jatiya Party won 22 seats in the 11th parliamentary election held December 30, in which the Awami League bagged a landslide victory, winning 257 seats .
The new parliament members elected through the polls marred by violence outside Dhaka and allegations of vote rigging by the BNP-led Jatiya Oikya Front were sworn-in as lawmakers yesterday morning. But Ershad could not attend the programme in the morning due to his illness.
He was then scheduled to take oath separately at 3:00pm. But later, he informed Quader that he was feeling ill and would not be able to take oath today.
Ershad was supposed to be taken to the parliament on a wheelchair for his swearing in today, Mamunur Rashid, media officer of Raushan Ershad, opposition leader of the past House session and Ershad’s wife, said earlier.
“He might take his oath in the next three or four days. And if that’s not the case, the chairman will take it within the time stipulated for doing so,” said GM Quader.
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