Bangladesh is passing through a critical phase fraught with rampant corruption, killings, rape, and forced disappearance due to greed for power, Jatiya Party (JP) chairman HM Ershad has said.
He also said that journalists are being muzzled by Section 57 of the ICT Act.
“There is a high wind blowing across the country for power. Women are being raped. There is no good governance. This cannot go on,” Ershad, who is also Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s special envoy, told reporters at a press briefing held at the JP’s Banani party office.
Criticising Section 57, the JP chairman said: “Journalists cannot present real facts for fear of Section 57.
If they cannot write the truth, how are we supposed to get the actual situation? Such an anti-people law should be withdrawn.”
“The present government doesn’t want people’s welfare. People are buying rice at 50 taka per kg,” he noted. “Why must people buy rice at 50 taka per kg? Why is there is no stock of rice? How can the minister give false information to the nation regarding rice stocks”, he asked.
Referring to a recent Supreme Court (SC) verdict, Ershad claimed that the apex court has presented the actual picture of the country.
“Here political landscape has been marred with rampant corruption, murders, and rape,” he added.
Regarding the Bogra rape case, the veteran political leader said: “Ruling party men are involved in the incident. But a top Awami League leader simply said that Tufan (party leader) was not their man!” 
The JP chairman said he is ashamed as three members of his party have become ministers under the present government.
“They will resign very soon. The JP does not believe in the politics of violence. We’ll protest against every misdeed of the government through democratic means,” he added.
When newsmen asked the JP chief about his resignation from the post of the PM’s special envoy, Ershad said: “I have already informed the Prime Minister about my resignation. I cannot resign without her consent.
If I resign without her consent, it would amount to dishonouring her.”
Terming a sub-district executive officer’s (UNO’s) recent arrest as an unprecedented incident in the country, Ershad said, “A UNO represents the government. How can a government official be arrested? The Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police of that area have been transferred because of this incident, but the masterminds have managed to remain behind the scene.”
He asked the authorities concerned what was the fault of Siddiqur, a student of Titumir College, who lost his eyes in police action during a demonstration demanding proper holding of examinations.
He lamented that the politics of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hussein Shahid Suhrawardy and Fazlul Haque do not exist anymore.