Staff Reporter :
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Sunday said that a medical board would be formed to examine BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s health condition when a delegation of BNP met him with a request to arrange treatment in United Hospital in the city for her.
“BNP leaders requested us to provide her (Khaleda Zia) better medical treatment in the city’s United Hospital as they said that her health condition is vulnerable. For this, a medical board will be formed to check up her health condition soon though her health is regularly checked in prison,” said Home Minister after meeting with the BNP leaders.
The seven members BNP delegation led by the party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir met the Home Minister in his office of secretariat around 3:00pm.
The BNP leaders expressed their concern over the treatment of Khaleda Zia and her desire to get treatment at United Hospital. They also named Apollo Hospital’s for a possible alternative. Responding to a query, the Home Minister said the medical board will be formed immediately, but he did not mention any specific date.
The Home Minister said, the government has given responsibility to supervision Khaleda’s health check up regularly to the Home Secretary and the IG Prison.
He said, “There are higher medical treatment facilities in the government hospitals. But the BNP leaders requested for her treatment at private hospitals. Every measure will be taken under the recommendations of the medical board following the rules of prison.”
“If the medical board recommends there are no necessary medical facilities in government hospitals for Khaleda’s treatment, then we will consider the alternatives,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile the BNP leaders talked with the journalists also after the meeting.
“We have told Home Minster that our party chief needs improved treatment and she prefers United Hospital and he ensured that he would consult jail authorities and other concerned and then take the decision,” Mirza Fakhrul told journalists.
Responding to a query, the BNP leader said that the Home Minister did not mention any date when he would take up the step, but said that he would hold a meeting with officials by today (Sunday).
“We hope that the government will ensure treatment of Khaleda Zia at United Hospital,” he said.
BNP Standing Committee Members Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Nazrul Islam Khan, Rafiqul Islam Mia, Mirza Abbas and Dr. Abdul Moin Khan accompanied Mirza Fakhrul in the meeting.
