But the chairman’s announcement to make the former First Lady senior co-chairman three days ago indicated that relations between the couple who had been in a battle for power may be thawing.
The Jatiya Party chief was “thrilled” when Raushon joined him in the party’s May Day programme at its Kakrail office on Sunday.
Ershad, who takes pride in being a poet, described the day as ‘historic’, ‘a day of black clouds blowing away’ and ‘the start of a new journey’.
She sat between the brothers at the event.
In her speech delivered before Ershad’s, she spoke about the historic background and significance of May Day.
By the time she concluded, she asked Jatiya Party workers, “I have been made the party’s senior co-chairman. Do you support it? I won’t be in the post if you don’t want me to.”
The supporters replied with applause and slogans in her support, seeing Ershad and Raushon on the same stage for the first time after Jan 1.
Ershad started his speech by thanking Raushon for joining the programme.
“Today is a historic day. The sun has risen. The dark clouds have cleared out,” he said.
“My heart is full to the brim with joy today. I am lost for word to express this joy,” added an exuberant Ershad.
“My wife has said many things (on May Day). I don’t want to say much. I am very happy for her to come here.
“We will work for Jatiya Party together from today. We are united and united we shall be.
“Our new journey begins today,” he added.
But Ershad did not see anything ‘good’ with state of affairs in Bangladesh.
“Is it possible for the government to keep police in every house?” the prime minister’s special envoy asked.
“The deterioration of law and order is a national crisis. We all will have to step forward to tackle this crisis.
“The responsibility is ours too, not of the government alone,” he added.
He called for dialogue between all political parties to overcome the ‘crisis’.