Dhaka, Sept 9 – In the wake of BNP’s demand to admit jailed party Chief Khaleda Zia in a specialised hospital for her treatment, home minister Asaduzzaman said that a seven-member medical board would be formed for the treatment of Khaleda Zia. The home minister came up with the comments after a seven-member delegation team led by BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir met with the home minister and requested him to take step for treatment of Khaleda Zia, who has been languishing in jail following a lower court verdict convicting her five-year imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8.
Apart from meeting with the home minister, BNP made several moves yesterday over the treatment of Khaleda Zia.
Pro-BNP lawyers led by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Advocate Joynul Abedin met with the chief justice and a writ petition has also filed by the pro-BNP lawyer with the High Court seeking its order on the government to send BNP chief Khaleda Zia in a specialised hospital for her treatment.
In the afternoon yesterday, a seven-member delegation team led by BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir met with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at the Secretariat and requested him to send their party chief immediately to United Hospital for the proper treatment of seriously ill and jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Later, the Home Minister told reporters that along with United Hospital the BNP also proposed the name of Apollo Hospital to shift its chairperson for treatment.
He said the government would form a medical team again for Khaleda Zia and take a decision over providing her treatment following jail code. “She will take whatever step is needed in accordance with jail code.”
The Home Minister further said members of BNP chairperson’s personal physicians would also be accommodated in the medical board.
He said the BNP delegation apprised him that their jailed chairperson is suffering from Arthritis and proposed to provide her treatment at a specialized hospital.
The Home Minister said, like the last time, they named United Hospital for her treatment as her favourite hospital. This time they also named Apollo Hospital for her treatment.
“I told them whatever steps are needed will be taken as per jail code,” he added.
Meanwhile, briefing reporters, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they proposed the Home Minister to admit party chairperson Khaleda Zia to United Hospital.
“You know, our chairperson is now in jail and her health condition has deteriorated…We have requested the Home Minister to provide her treatment at a specialized hospital and we want the government to send her to the United Hospital,” he said.
The BNP leader said the Home Minister assured them to take necessary measures in consultation with authorities concerned.
Asked whether the chairperson has any favourite hospital, he replied in the affirmative saying that our leaders; the favourite hospital is United Hospital.
The other members of the delegation include standing committee members- Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan and Dr Abdul Moin Khan.
Earlier at noon yesterday, pro-BNP lawyers submitted an application to the office of the chief justice requesting him to hold “inquiries into the misuse of judicial powers” regarding shifting of the court to continue the trial of Zia Charitable Trust case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
In the application, they also urged Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain to take appropriate actions against the judicial officers who are “encroaching their legal boundaries at the instance of the government”.
President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Advocate Zainul Abedin and its Secretary Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon signed the application.
Pro-BNP lawyers Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali, Zainul Abedin, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Advocate Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin and Barrister Bodruddoza Badal met the chief justice at his Supreme Court office and placed the application before him.
After the meeting, Advocate Zainul Abedin told reporters that Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain assured them of looking into the matter within his legal and administrative jurisdiction.
In the application, Advocate Zainul and Barrister Mahbub said shifting the court for holding the trial of Zia Orphanage Trust case against Khaleda Zia has offended the right to have a fair trial of Khaleda Zia as has been guaranteed under Article 35(3) of the Constitution inasmuch as this will cause prejudice to her right to have a public trial.
Khaleda Zia is now seriously ill and she is unable to walk, and in this situation, she needs a medical treatment first than trial and the government itself is claiming that she is ill, they said.
In spite of this, the court does not take an appropriate step for her treatment by any doctor of her choice, they said in the application.
In the application, the lawyers also said the constitution as well as the statutory scheme does not and cannot allow any government, legal or illegal, to set up any court or to continue any trial in an abandoned jail.
Meanwhile, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its directive on the government to send her to a specialised hospital in Dhaka for treatment.
The HC may hold a hearing on the petition today (Monday), Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, one of the counsels for BNP chief, told reporters after filing the petition.
Citing from the petition, he said the BNP chairperson is seriously ill as she has been suffering from different diseases, therefore, she needs to be admitted to a specialised hospital for treatment.
Khaleda Zia has been serving in jail since February 8 this year after a Dhaka court convicted and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
Khaleda is now facing 36 cases. She has secured bail in all but two cases, which was filed in Comilla. – Staff Reporter
