Staff Reporter :
The BNP on Sunday brought out a protest procession in the city’s Badda area demanding its Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s release from jail.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir led the procession starting from Hossain Market and ended at central Badda at noon.
He before starting of the procession accused the government of jailing Khaleda Zia in a fabricated case.
The BNP leader said his party chief is seriously sick in the jail, but denied proper treatment.
He demanded Khaleda Zia’s release to make a passage for her treatment in the city’s United Hospital where she had taken treatment in the past. BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, Dhaka City North unit General Secertary Ahsanullah Hasan, Vice-President Bazlul Basit Anju, Joint-Secretary Shamim Parvej, Organising Secretary Anwaruzzaman Anwar, Juba Dal President Saiful Alam Nirob, General Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku and Chhechchhasebak Dal General Secretary Abdul Quadir Bhuiyan Jewel, among others, were present. Two Senior Leaders of the BNP on Sunday met Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal requesting Khaleda Zia’s better treatment at the city’s United Hospital.
BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan and Vice-Chairman Major (rtd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed met the Minister at his ministry at 11:30am. IG Prison Brigadier General Syed Iftekhar Uddin joined the meeting at 12 pm.
After the meeting, Nazrul Islam Khan told journalists that they found the Home Minister positive about their demand.
“Khaleda Zia is seriously ill in prison. She even cannot walk. So, we have requested the Home Minister to take immediate steps for her better treatment and proper medical tests. We found the Minister positive about our demand,” he said.
“Our Chairperson has serious orthopedic problems. There are rods in her two legs. Her one eye has also become red. She is becoming weaker day by day. Her health condition is worsening gradually. She has confidence in the United Hospital. So we want her treatment there. We have asked the Home Minister to consider her case,” Nazrul Islam Khan said. Replying to a query, the BNP leader said, “The Home Minister’s statements seem positive in this regard. He also called the IG Prison to join our meeting, and we discussed everything in front of him. The Home Ministry and jail authority are enough to arrange Khaleda Zia’s treatment in a private hospital.
Nazrul Islam Khan said, “We have gone to meet our party chief at the jail gate after getting permission from the authority but failed. Her relatives also returned from jail gate without meeting her. Firstly the jail authority said some different reasons for this. At last we informed that Khaleda Zia cannot walk. So, she failed to meet us as she cannot walk from first floor to ground floor.”
“We asked the Home Minister to allow the former Prime Minister’s relatives to meet her in first floor in the jail as she becomes happy and it helped her recovery from illness,” he said.
The BNP leader said their chairperson requires physiotherapy for several consecutive days for her knee pain. But it is not possible in jail. If any wrong physiotherapy is given by nurses in jail, it may seriously affect her health, he added.
“The Home Minister also gave his consent about ensuring proper treatment of Khaleda Zia at a better place. We will now wait to see what steps the IG Prison takes. We hope they will take steps for our leaders’ health checkup and treatment at the United Hospital,” the BNP leader said.
