Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad has had separate meetings with Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj during his New Delhi visit.
The former military dictator, who is now a special envoy to Bangladesh PM, started his three-day India visit on Sunday on an invitation of the Indian government.
With the national election in Bangladesh due late this year, his visit aims to brief New Delhi over the political scenario, according to an official of the Indian government.
“The Jatiya Party may not be one of two major political parties of Bangladesh, but it has been a key player for long. It had played a significant role during the last election, which the BNP boycotted. Delhi wants to know how he evaluates the current scenario ahead of the next poll,” a joint secretary-level official told Bangla Tribune but asked not to be named.
Ershad’s visit comes after New Delhi visits by delegations of the ruling Awami League and BNP in recent months.
But the Jatiya Party chief’s visit is significant as it’s on the invitation by the government – handed by the Indian envoy in Dhaka last week, while the Awami League was invited by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the BNP delegation came kind of on its own.
Hours after checking-in at Delhi’s Hotel Taj Mansingh on Sunday, Ershad was invited for dinner by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The two had a meeting during the dinner at Singh’s official residence at 17 Akbar Road.
During the 30-minute-long meeting, they are believed to have discussed the political situation in Bangladesh, PTI reported.
Ershad is said to have apprised the Indian minister about the prevailing situation in Bangladesh and its preparation for the national polls, says the PTI report.
On Monday, Ershad met Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj at her South Block offices.
Before leaving for Dhaka on Thursday, he is scheduled for meeting with several other important leaders and ministers, including State Minister MJ Akbar.
HM Ershad, who had to step down in 1990 amid a populous movement, has been always considered as one of the key players in Bangladeshi politics.
A few days before the 2014 national election, the then-Indian foreign secretary Sujatha Singh travelled to Bangladesh, when she had meetings the leadership of several political parties, including the Jatiya Party (JP).
Singh’s meeting was viewed by several quarters as an attempt to motivate the then-undecided Jatiya Party to take part in the elections to make it credible.
The party became the opposition in parliament with Ershad’s wife Raushon as the leader after it contested the 2014 elections following much drama.
The party’s Presidium members Anisul Islam Mahmud and Mujibul Haque Chunnu became ministers while Moshiur Rahman Ranga a state minister.
Besides that, Ershad was made a special envoy to the PM with the rank and status of a minister.
However, the situation is quite different this time. There are uncertainties over the BNP joining the polls, but Ershad has made it clear during several occasions that his party is taking part in the upcoming national election.
Ershad’s entourage in Delhi includes party Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Presidium members Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, Sunil Shubharoy and Khaled Aktar.