BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday night thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she went to her Gulshan office to express sympathy to her at the death of her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko.”BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia thanked the Prime Minister and expressed gratitude to her after coming to know that Sheikh Hasina had come to her Gulshan office to show sympathy to her,” BNP chairperson’s press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told reporters at a press briefing.Maruf said, the BNP chief woke up around 10:45pm from sleep and asked him to convey the message thanking the Prime Minister as she was informed about the Prime Minister’s arrival. “You all know that BNP chairperson has become seriously devastated mentally after knowing the death news of her son. She has become ill driven by grief and shock and doctors have kept her sleep on injection.” Mentioning that the death of Koko is a humanitarian and shocking matter, he said there is no scope for doing politics over the issue. “Khaleda Zia had also gone to express sympathy to the Prime Minister after death of her husband Dr Wazed Miah. So, we call upon all not to do politics over a humanitarian issue.”Asked about Khaleda Zia’s present condition, Maruf said she is not fine as she is severely devastated mentally.He said, the BNP chief urged the country’s people to pray for salvation of the departed soul of her younger son.About the allegation that the PM was not allowed to enter Khaleda’s office, Maruf said, “This is not true as the Prime Minister’s Office was informed beforehand about the BNP chief’s mental condition. Even though, we’ve come to know the PM has arrived and went back before realising anything.” Asked whether BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman will go to Malaysia, the BNP chief’s press secretary said Khaleda’s eldest son was trying to get visa to go there. “But it’s difficult to get visa in a day.” Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived at BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office on Saturday night to console her following her younger son’s premature death, but Hasina could not meet her as Khaleda was said to be unwell. The Prime Minister’s motorcade reached Khaleda Zia’s office gate around 8:34 pm. The Prime Minister got down from her vehicle around 8:36pm, but she got back into it around 8:40pm.Sheikh Hasina went back after she was conveyed that the BNP chairperson was sleeping after taking ‘sedatives’ as advised by doctors as she was deeply shocked at the death of her son Arafat Rahman Koko.Koko, the younger son of former president Ziaur Rahman and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, died in Malaysia on Saturday at the age of 45.
