Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Thursday directed the government to immediately admit BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for her treatment and to reconstitute the five-member medical board formed by the government.
In response to a writ petition, the HC also said, Khaleda Zia’s physiotherapy and diagnosis will take place as per her choice and she can involve any physician of her choice beyond BSMMU for her treatment subject to the medical board’s approval. The HC asked the government to form a fresh five-member medical board led by Professor Abdul Jalil Chowdhury of Internal Medicine at BSMMU and its Physiatrist Associate Professor Badrunnesa Ahmed to examine Khaleda Zia’s health condition and to commence her treatment.
It also ruled that the rest three members of the medical board will not be any one, present or former member and supporter of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad, a pro-Awami League doctors’ organization, and Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), a pro-BNP doctors’ association, Khaleda’s lawyers Barrister Bodruddoza Badal and Barrister Kayser Kamal told the reportrers.
Khaleda Zia can be visited at BSMMU as per the relevant rules of the Jail Code, the court also said.
The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order upon a writ petition filed by BNP chairperson seeking its directive on the government to send her to a specialised hospital for her treatment.
On September 9, Khaleda filed the writ petition on health grounds as she has been suffering from various illnesses.
In her petition, she prayed for her treatment in any specialised hospital.
The government on September 13 formed a medical team led by Professor Abdul Jalil Chowdhury for examining her health condition.
Other members of the team were Cardiologist Professor Harisul Haque, Orthopedic Surgeon Professor Abu Zaffar Chowdhury, Ophthalmologist Associate Professor Tariq Reza Ali and Physiatrist Associate Professor Badrunnesa Ahmed of BSMMU.
Khaleda was sentenced to five years in prison on February 8 in the Zia Orphanage Trust case.
During hearing of the petition on October 3, Khaleda’s lawyer Advocate A J Mohammad Ali told the court that the government formed the medical board with the doctors of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad, a pro-Awami League doctors’ forum, for the treatment of Khaleda Zia.
Khaleda Zia may not get fair treatment from this medical board, he said.
He prayed to the HC to direct the government to send Khaleda Zia to a specialised United Hospital as per her choice for treatment.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam opposed the writ petition, saying that the jail authorities have taken steps for providing necessary treatments to Khaleda Zia.
