Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday said his party has become a "domestic opposition party" as it failed to play its role as the real opposition.

Ershad, also a special envoy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, claimed that the political changeover of 1/11 emerged as the Iajuddin Ahmed-led caretaker government had moved to hold the elections minus the JP chief.

"We waged a movement demanding that there would be no polls without Ershad. And the elections were not held finally, which led to the creation of 1/11," he said.

The JP boss made the remarks while addressing the party's national council  preparation meeting at his Banani office.

"In Bangladesh's context, the opposition party usually comes to power next time. But we've failed to become a real opposition party; we've rather become a domestic opposition party. We could have assumed power had we become a real opposition," he said.

Different quarters, including Transparency International Bangladesh, have been criticising the Jatiya Party, the main opposition in parliament, for its role as the real opposition party, saying it has three members in the Sheikh Hasina-led cabinet.

Presenting a TIB study in October last year, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said the Jatiya Party failed to play its due role in parliament.

Terming the JP a so-called opposition, the TIB said the party was working as the "B-team of the government".

Ershad, at the beginning of his speech yesterday, said, "I want say that there will be no change in JP's chairman, co-chairman and secretary general posts in the next council."

The JP boss, however, said he has no objection to making his wife and Leader of the Opposition Raushan Ershad the party's chief if she is interested, and also to avoid any split in the party.

"But I don't want any division in the party. We want to become a joint family. I've already reached the last stage of my life. But I want to keep the party in a good shape before I go ... The next national election will be my life's last election," he added.