To meet his demands, the government has agreed on principle to have all cases filed against Ershad disposed of within a month. The ruling BNP is even pondering over his condition that he should be nominated for presidency in case of their [prospective] coalition coming to power, sources said.

The former president spelt out the conditions for his party's joining the four-party alliance when BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman met him at his Baridhara residence on Thursday night.

"I think JP would better join the BNP-led coalition as our principle and ideology are similar to theirs. Everything will be finalised within September after second-phase meeting on it with the prime minister," Ershad told journalists yesterday morning.

"I have just taken time to discuss the matter within my party," he said. "I didn't demand anything for myself but the people want me as the president," Ershad replied to a query about his conditions.

Sources said JP-Ershad has already placed its 16-point demand to the government. The key conditions include immediate disposal of the cases filed against Ershad and his nomination as the president.

The BNP high-ups are now working on the conditions. Prime Minister's Office has already gathered information about the current state of the cases filed against Ershad while the ministries concerned have begun working towards a way to have him exonerated.

Ershad also wants assurance from the BNP of the positions of his party colleagues in government if their alliance wins the next election. Seat sharing and formation of the government figured prominently in the other conditions he put at the meeting with Tarique.

He demanded at least 50 seats for his party leaders as the coalition nominees, party sources said.

BNP sources said the four-party coalition won the election in 2001 with two-thirds majority without Ershad's JP, but things have changed in last five years.

Party policymakers think condition of most of the incumbent ministers and lawmakers is critical due to their misbehaviour with the constituents, corruption, involvement in terrorist activities, and failure to contain the skyrocketing prices of essentials and power crisis. That's why the ruling BNP needs JP-Ershad in the coalition to ensure victory in the next election.

Sources said the government is thinking over the conditions attached by Ershad despite lack of faith in him who left the four-party coalition at the last moment before the 2001 election.

On the other hand, Ershad has been under tremendous pressure due to the cases filed over the last few years. So this time both he and BNP want assurance from each other.

"We had been in the alliance, and we had left it for some reasons," Ershad told the journalists after his meeting with Tarique Rahman.

But a faction of JP leaders is opposed to the idea of joining the ruling coalition as the party could split over the issue.

JP Presidium Member and brother of the party chairman, GM Quader MP, yesterday said he will resign if Ershad joins hands with BNP.

In another development, leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key component of the four-party alliance, at a Majlish-e-Shura meeting yesterday expressed displeasure at the BNP move to include JP in the ruling coalition without consulting them, sources said.

Dismissing Jamaat's observations that JP's joining the alliance could bring disaster for it in the next election, the JP chairman said Jamaat is not a big factor at all.

Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) leader Fazlul Huq Aminee, MP said the matter has yet to be discussed at the alliance meeting. Ershad did not say anything clearly about the joining and his role, he added.

Saifur Rahman, secretary general of BJP, another partner of BNP, said there is nothing wrong to include JP in the coalition.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Awami League (AL) has been closely observing the recent political developments. Terming the ruling coalition government a 'sinking ship' AL Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed told The Daily Star that no one would like to join them. "I think Ershad will be able to take a proper decision during the caretaker government," he observed.

Jamaat angered, warns of election debacle Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key ally of the ruling BNP, yesterday expressed dissatisfaction at the recent move of the government high-ups to include Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad) in the four-party alliance

'BNP out to salvage sinking ship' Awami League (AL) yesterday termed the ruling BNP's negotiations with Ershad an attempt to keep its sinking ship afloat.

GM Quader to quit JP if Ershad joins four-party Jatiya Party (JP) presidium member GM Quader MP has said he will resign from the party if JP Chairman HM Ershad joins the BNP-led four-party alliance.