The incumbent government has been recognised as an autocratic one internationally, claimed Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad at a rally in Chittagong yesterday.

“You termed me an autocrat. But now it is proven that I was not an autocrat rather you are internationally recognised as one,” he said, pointing to the ruling party. “How do you show your face… have you no shame?”

The JP chief was speaking at a rally organised by Sammilito Jatiya Jote, a newly formed platform of 58 political parties including Jatiya Party and Bangladesh Islami Front, at Laldighi Maidan.

“You came to power with a pledge to provide job for members of every household and provide rice at Tk 10 per kg. But 4.86 crore people are unemployed according to a government record and the price of rice is Tk 60 per kg,” he claimed. “How can a rickshaw-puller or a day-labourer maintain their families?”

“Bangladesh has become number one in child marriage… Because, parents marry off their daughters feeling insecure…,” he said. “One person is running the government and everything happens as per that person's will…”

“The situation of the country has become such that no one but Allah knows who would disappear and when,” he said.

Ershad also urged the government to take punitive actions against perpetrators involved in looting the banks' money. “Bangladesh is the only country where the money of the central bank has been looted…Tk 800 crore has been looted, but they have not disclosed the names of the perpetrators… Why? Because, they are also involved… we know who they are.”

“Why do you not publish the names…?” he asked. “The country is not on a highway towards development [as the government has termed], rather it is on the highway towards corruption.”

He also pledged that he would introduce a provincial government system if voted to power.

Ershad also alleged that the country's education system has been “destroyed”. “Earlier it was tough to pass the examinations, now it has become tough to fail... Many of the GPA-5 achievers cannot even write their names in English… what is the point of this GPA-5?” he said.

“The education minister in parliament advised taking bribes at a lower rate… how can he say such a thing? Surprisingly, he is still in the cabinet… if I was [the prime minister], I would have sacked him at once,” Ershad said.

Bangladesh Islami Front Chairman MA Mannan chaired the rally.