Dhaka: Claiming that all the Election Commissions (ECs) since 1991 did injustice to his party, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad on Thursday hoped the new Commission this time will treat it fairly.

“We didn’t get fair treatment from the Election Commissions since 1991. They all did injustice to us. But, the new Chief Election Commissioner has promised to hold fair polls by not getting influenced by any one. We’re now hopeful about fair election,” he said.

Ershad, a former military ruler, came up with the comment while addressing a joint meeting of the Jatiya Party’s central and district committees at Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh.   

Referring to media reports, he said the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda has been picked from their party list provided to the EC. “Newspapers ran news that the new CEC’s name was proposed by Jatiya Party. I don’t know whether it’s true or false, but it’s circulated that his name was there on our list. We’re happy that the CEC has been made from our list.”

He, however, said it is not a big matter the CEC has been made from which party’s list. “The main thing is that we want fair elections to be held under it.”

The Jatiya Party chief said the country’s people want his party to return to power as he his getting an overwhelming response from them wherever his going. “We must be ready to return to power by strengthening our party’s organisational strength.”

Ershad urged his party colleagues to work sincerely to ensure their party candidate Shamim Haider Patwary’s victory in the upcoming by-election in Gaibandha’s Sundarganj billed for March 22.

Mentioning that the by-polls will be the first test of the new EC, he said, “We also must come out successful in the test. We want fair election and our triumphant journey will begin with the polls.”