Country on highway of corruption: Ershad

Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad on Saturday slammed the government for its failure to contain price hike of essentials, unemployment and yaba trade in the country.
Ershad, also special envoy to prime minister Sheikh Hasina, asked the government why there were many ‘ditches and canals on the highways of development’.
‘The country is now on the highway of corruption. Citizens want change and we need to rescue them by coming to power in the next elections,’ said Ershad whose party is currently a part of the Awami League-led government.
He said, ‘Killings are taking place. The government knows about the incidents. We want security of the people.’
While addressing the party’s Chittagong divisional gathering at Laldighi Maidan on Saturday afternoon, the former military dictator promised that he would ensure good governance in the country if his party was elected to power in the upcoming national elections.
Ershad blamed government inaction for collapse of banking system in the country. 
Describing incidents of looting banks as ‘rare in history’, he said that the lootings had been done in the name of development.
Ershad called for reforming the polling system as candidates were being elected uncontested or through false votes or election engineering in recent times. ‘There is no election in the country these days,’ he said.
The JP chairman said, ‘They called me an autocrat. But now they have been declared as autocratic by an international agency... Now everything is ruled by a single person.’ 
Ershad said that the government had promised to ensure per kilogram rice at Tk 10 but it was now selling in markets at Tk 60-70.
Referring to official statistics, he lamented that the country now has 4.86 crore unemployed people. 
‘Life threatening yaba tablets are now available at tea shops,’ he said claiming that the situation was much better during his tenure.
He called on the leaders and activists of the party to be ready for the next general elections.
JP secretary general ABM Ruhul Amin Howladar said that they would soon prove that their party is the country’s most popular political party.
Environment and forest minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said that the people want change and want to see their party in power.
‘People are really sickened by the two women leaders. They want change,’ said JP presidium member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu.
Islami Front chairman MA Mannan presided over the meeting. Islami Front secretary general MA Matin, former Chittagong mayor Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, JP vice-chairman Mehjabeen Murshed, JP Chittagong city president Solaiman Alam Seth also spoke in the rally.
Several hundred leaders and activists of the party and Islami Front attended the event with banners and festoons.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net