Jailed former president HM Ershad was rushed to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases yesterday in the city with chest complications.

He was taken to the Coronary Care Unit immediately after his admission to the hospital at 4 in the afternoon, party and jail sources said.

Prison authorities said Ershad was hospitalised following advice of physicians at Dhaka Central Jail after a preliminary check-up.

Ershad has been serving a sixmonth jail term since November 20 last year after a High Court order upheld the verdict of the trial court that convicted him in the Janata Tower case.

Although awarded a five-year jail term and fined Tk 5.5 crore, Ershad will have to serve only six months of imprisonment against the fine as he had already served more than three years in prison before the verdict was passed.

Many JP leaders and activists, including secretary general Naziur Rahman Manjur and Ershad's younger brother GM Qader MP rushed to the hospital to see the ailing party chairman.

Jail authorities, however, only permitted Manjur and Qader to meet Ershad but denied permission to Ershad's attorney Barrister Rafiqul Haq and his wife Dr Farida Haq.

Meanwhile, political leaders especially those of the BNP, Jamaat and Islami Oikya Jote are worried about the development. While talking to The Daily Star, many expressed their suspicion that Ershad might have had secret understanding with the government to secure his release at the cost of a split in the 4-party opposition alliance.