Dhaka: Terming ‘meaningless’ the upcoming District Council polls, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad on Sunday said his party will not take part in it.

“We won’t join theDistrict Council polls as it’s a meaningless one,” he told a programme at a convention centre in the city’s Gulshan area arranged by the party as ex- Bikalpa Dhara vice president M Shahidur Rahman joined it. 

Ershad, also the Prime Minister’s special envoy, said his party’s now main target is to win the next general election. “We’re now thinking of the national election.”

He said their party has formed district unit committees to make the party ready for the 11th parliamentary polls.

BNP on Thursday also announced to boycott the elections. 

Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad announced the schedule for the District Council  polls setting December 28 as the voting date. 

The District Council  polls will be held in 61 districts across Bangladesh.

About the formation of the new Election Commission, Ershad said, “A pragmatic Election Commission should be constituted as per the rules on the basis of discussions with the parties now have representation in parliament.”

He said those party are now out of parliament have no right to engage in talks over the issue.