Shawdesh Desk;

Jatiya Party chief patron and leader of the opposition, Rawshan Ershad, on Saturday sent a letter to chief election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal  saying that the JP had decided to contest in the upcoming 12th Jatiya Sangsad elections with the Grand Alliance led by Awami League, as a partner party.

The JP chief patron sent the letter to CEC on the day when the party secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu, talking to reporters at the party chairman’s Banani office, said that his party would decide within a couple of days whether the party would join the next general election.

According to a report released by the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Rawshan Ershad in her letter to the CEC said that Jatiya Party had decided to contest the 12th parliamentary elections as a partner party of the Awami League-led grand alliance for the fourth time in continuation of the past three parliamentary elections.

She said that it would be an electoral alliance only.

After the polls, elected parliament members of Jatiya Party will follow the party decision, she mentioned in the letter.

awshan Ershad also mentioned in the letter that all nominated candidates of Jatiya Party could choose the party symbol ‘Langal’ (Plough) or a candidate, as his desire, being allied with the grand alliance.

She urged the CEC for taking necessary measures in this regard.

According to a report released by the United News of Bangladesh, the JP secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu said that the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party did not clearly say anything about the dialogue while the ruling party turned it down.

In this situation, he said that there was now a question whether the Jatiya Party would go to the election or not.

‘Our senior leaders will convene a meeting of our presidium members, if necessary, and we’ll decide through discussions within a day or two whether we will go to the polls,’ Chunnu said.

He, however, said that their party still wanted political talks to ensure a credible and participatory election.

On November 15, chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal announced that the 12th parliamentary election of the country would be held on January 7.

The CEC came up with the announcement for the next election schedule while addressing the nation.

Soon after the announcement of the election schedule, Jatiya Party chief patron Raushan Ershad welcomed it through a statement.

Some leaders, loyal to Raushan, said that they would participate in the election, but most of the party’s grassroots leaders loyal to its chairman GM Quader at a recent meeting suggested not going to polls under the current government.