The ousted president faces 16 cases filed during the previous BNP government's tenure in between 1991 and 1996.

The government assurance to dispose of the cases has given rise to questions about the necessity of having the JP (Ershad) with the ruling coalition.

The BNP-led alliance won 216 seats out of 300 in the last parliamentary election without the support of Ershad-led JP. The BNP alone won 193 seats, much more than the required 151 to form a government.

The questions that are now being asked in political as well as other circles are: What happened during the last few years of the present government that the ruling BNP now badly feels the need to induct Ershad-led JP into the alliance before the next election? And what does the BNP high command anticipate about the outcome of the coming polls?

The BNP move does not support the claim of the party chief and prime minister and government policy makers about the alliance's winning the next polls. The BNP stalwarts and senior ministers have repeatedly been claiming that the alliance would again have a landslide victory in the election and that the main opposition Awami League (AL) is heading for a polls debacle for their anti-people stance and activities.

But grassroots level leaders of the BNP do not subscribe to the party high commands' claim. They have warned the party high ups time and again that their party will face would face serious hurdles in the next election if the situation arising out of the persisting acute shortage of power and price spiral of essentials does not improve.

The ruling coalition has also failed to meet its election pledge to fight graft and other forms of corruption in the government and the administration. It has not punished anyone for graft. And Bangladesh has been branded the most corrupt country for the fourth consecutive year of the coalition rule.

Now, can the government claim that the situation has improved?

Many political observers believe that the ruling coalition has lost people's confidence due to its failure to keep its promises. So, it needs a greater alliance that includes JP (Ershad) to avoid a debacle in the next polls and prevent the AL- led opposition combine from expanding it by inducting that party into it.

The four-party alliance bagged 46 per cent votes while the AL alone secured 40.13 per cent and JP (Ershad) 7.25 per cent in the last election.

VOICE OF GRASSROOTS LEADERS
Meanwhile, as many as 2,900 leaders of district, upazila and municipality units of the BNP in six divisions attended the October 15-16 meeting and Iftar party at the Prodhanmontri Bhaban in the capital last year.

"The price hike of essentials and shortage of power have badly affected people's lives in the last days of this government," said Taiyebur Rahman, president of Thakurgaon upazila BNP, at the meeting on October 15. "We will have to face a tough time in the next polls if the situation does not improve," he told the gathering of fellow leaders from 36 districts of Rajshahi, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions.

General Secretary of Dinajpur district BNP Ashraful Alam said at the meeting the rural people were experiencing an acute power crisis. "The government's achievements in rural electrification have been shadowed by the crisis of power. The people are now blaming the government for this crisis."

Speaking at the second day's meeting, SM Gaznavi, general secretary of Borhanuddin upazila unit of the BNP, said the party leaders who did not get any benefits are now aggrieved and those who have been benefited in the last four years are 'acting cautiously'.

"Ministers will leave the country if the party fails to win the next election but we will have to stay home and face the adverse situation," Gaznabi said.

On the second day, BNP Standing Committee Member Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui expressed similar views and criticised the ministers and party lawmakers who, he said, were keeping away from the field level workers.

"If the ministers and lawmakers eat up everything, what will be left for the other leaders and workers," Tanvir questioned amid clapping from the grassroots leaders.

At a party meeting in Rajshahi on February 9 last year, a local BNP leader blasted the government for price hike of diesel and fertiliser. "Prices of fertiliser and diesel are too high. Farmers blame the government for this," said Subodh Chandra Mandal, organising secretary of Bishnupur unit of the BNP in Naogaon.

"The successes made so far in development sector have faded due to the skyrocketing price of rice," said Tasikul Islam, president of Jhilim union BNP unit in Chapainawabganj, at the meeting.

About farm subsidy, Abul Kalam Azad of Dighapara union unit in Natore, told a party meeting on February 8 last year, "Farmers are not getting benefits of the government subsidy of Tk 600 crore." The meeting held at the district town was attended by 2,022 grassroots level leaders.

"Most of the election pledges of the party have not been implemented. We cannot reply to people's queries for this failure," Abdur Rafik, president of Kismatnagar union BNP unit in Rajshahi district, said at the February 9 meeting held at Rajshahi stadium, attended by 2,187 grassroots leaders.

Similar issues were raised at such party meetings in Chittagong, Sylhet, Comilla, Mymensingh, Khulna and other places.

In line with the grassroots leaders' views, some ruling BNP lawmakers on several occasions in parliament decried the price hike of essentials and power crisis.

GOVT HIGH UPS' DENIAL
Senior ministers present at the meeting on October 15-16 last year, however denied that there were any crises and advised the grassroots level leaders to portray the government's development activities and achievements.

Even, in April this year, the deputy commissioners (DCs) described the crises of power and agricultural inputs the way the ruling BNP grassroots leaders and lawmakers did on several occasions earlier, warning the government about the situation and demanding urgent steps to resolve the crises.

But the government did not seem to consider those seriously and consistently claimed the situation was not that bad.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on several occasions said prices of essentials are under control and within people's reach as their purchasing capacity has increased. The slight rise in the prices of some commodities is due to the global market situation, she added.

But senior ministers time and again promised to check the price hike within a time limit.

In the face of severe criticism from grassroots leaders at the October meeting, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said, "The prices of essentials will be normal in three months."

At the same meeting, Bhuiyan and Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman blamed the media for "misreporting" on the price hike of essentials and undermining the government's success. "We will get more seats in the next election by dint of our countrywide development work and tremendous success in different areas," Saifur said. The AL will not get more than 50 seats, he predicted.

On power crisis, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia repeatedly said the situation has improved a lot. Demand for power has increased over the years due to fast industrialisation and new connections across the country. For this, there is a little shortage of power at present, she claimed. She denied that there was any fertiliser crisis and blamed the opposition for creating an artificial crisis.

Against this backdrop, it has now become a big question if the government claims were true, then why has it become so desperate to win Ershad's support even by disposing of all the cases against him?