Deposed President Ershad and 27 other MPs-elect of the Jattya Party were sworn-in yesterday.

The oath was administered by the Chief Election Commissioner Justice M. A. Rouf at Committee Room No 1 of the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) building at 10 am on Wednesday.

Ershad was escorted by police to parliament house from the Gulshan sub-Jail and taken straight to the Committee Room.

Three Jattya Party MPs-elect Kazi Zafar Ahmed. Anwer Hossain Manju and Sardar Amjad Hossain, wanted by police did not arrive at the swearing-in ceremony.

JP insiders said that the three MPs-elect may surrender to police in a couple of days to take the oath as decided by the party.

Ershad was brought to the parliament building at 9:30 am with formers Vice-President Moudud Ahmed and former Home Minister Mahmudul Hasan arriving there under police escort before him.

On Ershad's entering the Committee Room senior JP leaders including outgoing Deputy Speaker Reazuddtn Ahmed Bhola Mta. T. M Fazie Rabbi and Khurram Khan burst Into tears and began embrac ing him.

Khurram Khan and T. M Fazie Rabbi reaffirmed their loyalty to Ershad and touched his feet.

However it appeared that Ershad was trying to ignore Moudud Ahmed before Jie oath-taking.

Every time Moudud tried to draw Ershad's attention, the deposed President turned his head the other way.

The presence of press photographers tn the Committee Room vexed JP MP T M. Fazle Rabbi and he abused the journalist community for what he said was taking an anti-Ershad stand.

At the press conference that followed the oath-taking. T. M. Fazle Rabbi MP was seen constantly sticking to Ershad so that he could be pictured with his leader.

Ershad. wearing a navy-blue blazer and cream coloured trousers kept on smiling and looked not a bit like one who had been brought to the parliament building from a sub-jail.

'1 feel better more relaxed here in this free atmosphere after four months tn confinement,' Ershad told waiting reporters.

After taking oath he addressed an impromptu press conference in the lobby of the parliament secretariat

I ie talked to the journalists freely and without any Interruption from the securitymen present there.

The police escort was wait Ing outside the Parliament Houae.

The Parliament Secretary Abdul Awal was however busy trying to restrain the press photographers.

Awal's behaviour tended to imply that it was the journalists who were causing the se curlty problems.

After the press conference Ershad addressed a meeting of the Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party (JPPP) at the Committee Room. The meeting was announced by the JP members just after the oath taking.

Securitymen did not bar Ershad presiding over the meeting.

Ershad appeared to have lost none of his gregariousness. striving to establish rapport with the gathered pressmen at every opportunity.

While appearing to chat with the journalists who bombarded him with a barrage of questions. Ershad. who was taken to the Jatiya Sangsad under strict police surveillance for the express purpose of being sworn in as an MP. cleverly contrived to give everyone the slip and hold a full-fledged meeting of his partymen in the Committee Room, taking full advantage of the ig-norancc. of the security personnel regarding the rights and privik'gcs of a person in detention.

When Ershad was coming out of the Parliament Secretary's Room he was handed over a packet by Moudud Ahmed.

On his entering the Committee Room to address the Parliamentary Party meet Ing three Awami League MPs Mustafizur Rahman. Syed Abul Hussain and Hashed Musharraf met Ershad.

They were on their way to a scheduled meeting of the party on the 9th floor. They also embraced Ershad and exchanged greetings-

Deposed President Ershad attended the Parliamentary Party meeting for about 80 minutes and was then taken back to the Gulshan sub-jail at around 12.30 pm.

Parliament Secretary Abdul Awal when asked, told the Dally Star that he did not know whether Ershad was brought to the parliament on parole or under police escort.

On the other hand a Home Ministry source said that Ershad was brought under police escort. But none could clarify whether a prisoner under police escort or on parole could address a press conference or preside, over a meeting of a political party.