"Many of our (JP) lawmakers may quit the party if our chairman took the wrong decision to join the BNP-led alliance," JP Presidium Member GM Quader told The Daily Star yesterday without disclosing their names.

However, most of the party MPs at a parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday assured Ershad of supporting him on his decision. Sources said they have decided to support Ershad at the moment but would change their decision later.

Talking to The Daily Star, a number of JP lawmakers feared that they could face harassment by the government if they oppose Ershad's views. They also want to avoid any disciplinary actions that Ershad may take against them.

"If anybody is opposed to join the four-party now, he could face harassment by the government," a senior JP leader told The Daily Star. "So it's better to support Ershad now and wait for the right time."

Sources said a few legislators already had discussions with the senior leaders of the main opposition party Awami League and a few others talked to Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) as part of their polls strategy.

Referring to his elder brother Ershad's comment that he [Quader] would not be allowed to enter Rangpur, a JP stronghold, if he opposed Ershad, Quader said: "Who will prevent me from going to Rangpur?"

"Rangpur is not a private property of somebody," he added.

Party sources said a number of party lawmakers had met Ershad several times before the Ershad-Tarique Rahman meeting and requested him not to join the ruling alliance. Ershad assured them of not taking any decision that would harm the party.

They said a few leaders did not protest Ershad's recent move to join the ruling coalition strongly. But if finally JP joined the ruling alliance they would refrain themselves from taking part in the elections with the JP ticket and change their platform to contest the polls.