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Come to me

Ershad pleads with his MPs

Staff Correspondent
Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad has called upon his party leaders who participated in the January 5 polls defying his orders to come back to his side.
He warned them of kicking out of the party if they didn't.
"I ask the party men who cut off relations to return to us. Come back to me if you want to see a better tomorrow. Or you will lose your position in the party as well as in politics," Ershad said yesterday.
The former military dictator was speaking at a meeting with his party leaders in the capital's Convention Centre at Gulshan. It was his first meeting with his party leaders since the election.
His remarks made clearer the conflict with his wife Raushan Ershad, now the leader of the opposition in parliament. The couple began going their separate ways ahead of the election, with Ershad suddenly quitting while a section of JP leaders joining the race under Raushan's leadership.
At yesterday's meeting, only four out of the 34 JP lawmakers were present. Ershad claimed he had invited all the leaders.
Raushan, a senior presidium member of the party, herself was not present, but Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawladerwas.
"A conspiracy is being hatched to split the party. We have to resist it. It is not a party of 30 lawmakers; it is a party of millions of people. Despite
being invited, they [central leaders] did not participate in the programme. It cannot be accepted that you stand in the polls with plough symbol, but don't attend the party programme now. I'm warning you for the last time to come back immediately," said Ershad.
Party insiders told The Daily Star that Ershad called the meeting without inviting Raushan "properly" to reestablish his command over the party that slipped to Raushan after the January 5 polls. This is why most MPs avoided the programme.
While Ershad was allegedly kept confined to the Combined Military Hospital following his decision to quit the polls race, the Raushan-led JP won 34 seats, including that of Ershad. After
a month-long drama, Ershad took oath as MP. Subsequently, he was made special envoy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
"I am taking responsibility for the 200 candidates who withdrew their nominations after my announcement," Ershad said.
He asked his party activists to campaign for the JP men who are taking part in the upazila election. He added that he would start a countrywide tour on February 20 "to unite" the party.
On changing the judge dealing with the Manzoor murder case against him a day before the verdict was to be delivered, Ershad said, "I have a lot to say, but can't say it now. I can't even explain why we didn't go to the polls.