Returning home yesterday after a 15-day tour of the Middle East. Jatiya Party Chairman and former president H M Ershad called for all including his party faithful to make July 8 hartal a success, reports UNB.

The BNP-led four-party opposition alliance has called for a nationwide shutdown to protest what they called "anti-people" budget passed for fiscal 1999 2000.

Talking to journalists at the airport Ershad. however, took exception with the alliance's liaison committee observations on his meeting with the Indian Prime Minister during Atal Be-hari Vajpayee's Dhaka tour.

"I have friendly relations with heads of state and government of different countries including the neighbouring ones. I also have met many such dignitaries during their visit to Bangladesh." he said in reply to a question.

"We have formed Liaison Committee to decide the agenda of the anti-government movement. It is not the lookout of the committee to pry into our mode of conduct or into whom we are to meet or not."

Replying to another query he said he maintained contact with the party while abroad and instructed the JP MPs to take necessary steps, including staging walkout from Parliament. against what he termed the anti-people budget of the government.

Regarding the obscene remarks made in Parliament re-, cently the former president said he was always vocal against such abuses.