Jamalpur: Criticising his party lawmakers for always praising the ruling party, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad on Sunday lamented that his party, being an opposition in parliament, cannot play its due role.

‘We’re the opposition in parliament… but we only hear admirations of the government, not criticisms, by our lawmakers. So, we’re not playing the opposition’s role,’ he said.

The former military ruler further said, ‘Admiring the government is not opposition’s job. It (JaPa) can’t be the opposition with playing such a role.’

Ershad came up with the remarks while speaking at the biennial council of his party’s Jamalpur district unit at local Public Hall.

Mentioning that Jatiya Party now wants to return to power, he said they should now work with an aim to get 151 seats in the next parliamentary polls.

‘People have started getting hopeful about Jatiya Party for its recent activities. Wait a bit, good days are ahead. Jatiya Party has long been prevailing as a party, and it’ll remain so in the days to come,’ Ershad told his party men.

Accusing the government of having failed to ensure good governance, he said the country’s people now have no security as the incidents of killing are gradually growing.

‘People now can’t sleep peacefully. Children are being killed and girls can’t come out of their homes. Parents are marrying off their little girls in fear that they may fall victims to rapists. The country can’t be run in this way,’ Ershad observed.

Jatiya Party co-chairman GM Quader, secretary general Ruhul Amin Howlader and presidium member SM Foysal Chisti, among others, spoke at the programme.