Ershad expected to return home Dec 22

DOT Desk
Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, who is in Singapore for treatment, is expected to return to Dhaka December 22.
Ershad told his special assistant ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader on phone Wednesday morning that he was in good health and eager to return to Dhaka to take part in election campaigns, reports the New Age. Howlader repeatedly told New Age that on return home Ershad would ‘doggedly follow doctors’ prescriptions.’ But confusion surrounds the deposed military dictator’s return home as it did before he had left for Singapore allegedly for treatment.
Before leaving for Singapore, Ershad took ‘treatment’ at the Combined Military Hospital for about a month.
His absence from active politics for over two months created leadership disputes in Jatiya Party (Ershad) just as it happened before the 10th parliamentary polls.
A faction led by senior co-chairperson Roushon Ershad, Ershad’s wife, toes ruling Awami League while the other faction follows Ershad.
The Roushan group fielded candidates in 25 out of 26 seats allotted to the coalition partner by AL.
In only one of the allotted seats, Rangpur -3, Ershad himself is contesting.
The Roushan faction withdrew candidates from 15 constituencies in favour of AL nominees, said JP (Ershad) leaders.
On December 13, Roushan herself withdrew her candidacy from Mymensingh 7 in favour of AL candidate Hafez Ruhul Amin Madani, JP leaders said.
She is contesting only from Mymensingh 4 in which AL fielded no candidate.
Ershad is under growing pressure to give up Dhaka 17 constituency, comprising of the cantonment, Matikata and parts of Gulshan, Banani and Mohakhali and contest only from Rangpur 3.
AL nominated film actor Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque in Dhaka-17.
Ershad, who never lost election earlier, would be in a triangular contest with Jatiya Oikya Front nominee and Bangladesh Jaitya Party president Andaleeve Rahman and AL’s Farooque, unless he withdraws from Dhaka-17.
Most of the Ershad faction’s nominees in 146 constituencies are being roughed up by AL candidates’ campaigners.
Ershad is special envoy of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.