After being unreachable for most of the party ranks over the last couple of days, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad showed up before them yesterday.

He attended an interview session of nomination seekers at Emmanuelle's Convention Centre at Gulshan around noon.

Addressing the party men, Ershad said he would decide on formation of electoral alliance considering the interest of the country, the party and its leaders and activists.

“I will make the decision if the party needs to go for another alliance on political grounds.”

He added that he would finalise the names of 300 nominees and all must accept his decision. 

The JP chief is now staying in a house at Gulshan instead of his residence, President Park, in Baridhara, and contacting only close and trusted party leaders, said sources.

He left the President Park on Friday and went to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for “check-up”. He left the hospital on Sunday but did not return to the President Park.

At yesterday's gathering, Ershad claimed there are only two parties in the country now -- one is the Awami League and the other is the Jatiya Party.

He urged them to keep the organisation united at any cost.

“Allah has given us a chance. The Jatiya Party has overcome many bad times. It has now got an organisational structure and we have to keep it up.”

Calling upon the leaders and workers to leave the decision of nomination to him, he said the JP would primarily announce the names of 300 candidates and he hoped everyone would accept the nominees.  

Ershad said as the party chairman he will have to make a tough decision. “I cannot give nominations to all of you. I will give nominations to the competent candidates. Everyone has to accept it.

“Nobody suffered or endured so much for this party like I have. I was never in peace for a single day. Still, I am facing cases.”

JP Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawladar said, “Please abide by the decision of the party chairman over the nomination issue. Don't leave his side over any decision.”

It's the party chief who would decide on which alliance the JP would join, he added.

The JP, the main opposition in the current parliament, started selling its nomination forms for the next general election on November 11 and continued for five days. Some 2,865 aspirants collected nomination forms. After scrutiny, 780 nomination seekers have been called for interview.