Ershad back home from Singapore

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad returned home last night after a two-week “medical checkup” in Singapore.

JP Presidium Member SM Faysal Chisti told The Daily Star that Ershad, also a special envoy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 9:00pm by a Singapore Airlines flight.

Faysal, who is coordinating Ershad's campaign in Dhaka-17, said the party chief is now physically sound and is expected to start campaign today.

Earlier, Ershad's return to Dhaka was deferred thrice. He was scheduled to come back home on December 20 and then December 22 and lastly on December 24.

Ershad is contesting in Dhaka-17 under his party banner. He also runs for Rangpur-3 under the banner of Awami League-led 14-party grand alliance.

In Dhaka-17, Ershad will have to take part in a triangular contest against AL candidate popular silver screen figure Akbar Hossain Pathan, known as Farooque, and Jatiya Oikyafront contender Andaleeve Rahman Partho, also chief of Bangladesh Jatiya Party.

Before leaving for Singapore on December 10, Ershad took treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for about a month.

Absence of Ershad, known as the most unpredictable character in the country's politics, in the crucial time of electioneering raised many questions in the political arena.