Raushan urges the president to initiate talks

Opposition Leader Raushan Ershad yesterday urged President Mohammed Shahabuddin to hold dialogues with political parties to make the election more participatory and festive.

A five-member delegation led by Raushan met the president and also requested him to extend the deadline for submission of nomination papers by a day or two.

Jatiya Party's chief patron made the move a day after writing to the Election Commission that the JP would participate in the January 7 election as part of the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance.

But the party's Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu yesterday said the JP did not want to be a part of the AL-led alliance.

Chunnu also said Raushan does not have the official power to send letters to the EC.

"She is not well. That's why she does not have the senses. A few people are using her sickness to make personal gains," Chunnu told reporters.

"We have yet to decide whether the Jatiya Party will participate in the election because our participation depends on the polls atmosphere."

The JP will start selling nomination papers to the party's aspirant candidates at the JP chairman's Banani office from 11:00pm today.

As if to make the rifts more obvious, Raushan yesterday told the president that the JP will participate in the election.

According to sources present at the meeting, President Mohammed Shahabuddin told the JP delegation that he would discuss with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the requests made by Raushan.

Raushan told the president that political parties need more time for their election preparations.

Emerging from the 40-minute meeting, JP leader Mashiur Rahman Ranga said, "The last date for filing nomination papers coincides with the deadline for filing of income tax returns."

This is why the deadline may have to be extended by a few days, he told reporters.

"Raushan Ershad also told the president that if there is time for holding dialogues with all, and if everyone participates in the election, then the event would be more festive," Ranga said.

"In response, the president said the election will have to be held by January 29 [as per the constitution].

"He [the president] wanted to know whether we have any opinion about the Election Commission. We told him that we don't have any complaints about the EC because what they have done so far was for a free and fair election."

Meanwhile, a statement from the Bangabhaban said Raushan sought the president's cooperation to hold the 12th national election in a free and fair manner.

On November 14, JP Chairman and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Parliament GM Quader called on the president and urged him to hold dialogues to resolve the current political crisis.

After JP founder HM Ershad died in 2019, rift between GM Quader and Raushan developed over taking control of the party.

The rift deepened over the last few months as Raushan held the JP council, GM Quader's removed Raushan from the post of opposition leader and Ranga from all posts of the JP.

Quader and Raushan on Saturday wrote to the EC saying that she has the authority to sign nomination forms of party leaders taking part in the election.

Chunnu then wrote another letter saying JP Chairman GM Quader will sign nomination papers because he has the official power to do so.

However, Raushan's representative who handed over her letter to the EC said the JP chief patron would sign the nomination forms.