Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad was placed on life support yesterday as his condition deteriorated at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.

He was put on life support at 4:10pm, Khandaker Deloar Jalali, the JP chief’s deputy press secretary, said in a statement.

Earlier on Monday, Health Minister Zahid Malik told reporters that Ershad was put on life support as his condition turned critical.

Ershad’s brother and acting JP chairman GM Quader, however, refuted the minister’s claims the next day, saying that Ershad was only given oxygen as he had been suffering from respiratory problems.

Yesterday afternoon, after visiting his 89-year-old brother at the CMH, Quader told reporters that Ershad’s health condition had been deteriorating.

“His condition remained unchanged over the last four days. But today, it is deteriorating,” he said.

“Many of his organs are not working properly. His lungs and kidneys are not properly functioning, due to which he is suffering from respiratory and excretory problems.

“Now we have nothing to do except pray for him.”

Speaking to journalists, Ershad’s wife Raushan Ershad, who accompanied Quader at the CMH, said most of her husband’s organs have become weak.

“The doctors at the CMH have been treating HM Ershad with utmost sincerity,” she said. 

Speaking at a press conference at JP chairman’s Banani office, Quader said Ershad’s drowsiness has increased and he remains asleep most of the time.

“Doctors are not considering this to be a good sign.”

He said the uric acid levels in Ershad’s blood had risen, which was causing the drowsiness, adding that doctors were trying to bring it under control.

“The CMH doctors have been providing the former president with world-class treatment in consultation with specialist doctors from home and abroad.”

“If necessary, we’ll bring doctors from abroad,” he said, adding, “But as per the advice given by doctors from Singapore, he is not fit to fly.”

Quader said the infection in his brother’s lungs was not healing as per expectation and his kidneys were not functioning properly either.  

He urged all the people to pray for Ershad’s quick recovery this Friday in their respective religious institutions.

The former military dictator, now the leader of the opposition in parliament, was admitted to the CMH on June 26 after his health condition worsened.

He had been suffering from various old age complications, including low haemoglobin, high bilirubin and liver problems, and severe knee pain.