Dhaka, Nov 01 – Former mayor of undivided Dhaka City Corporation and BNP vice-chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka is now fighting for life at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, New York, according to his family sources.
“He is in critical condition. He was taken at the intensive care unit of the hospital and kept alive providing oxygen and he might be kept on life support anytime,” Khoka’s elder son Ishraque Hossain, who is no in New York, told media in the afternoon.
He further said the doctors have given up hope of improving the health condition of my father and stopped all sorts of treatment.
Meanwhile, taking Khoka, veteran freedom fighter, back to the country has also become almost uncertain as he has no passport with him, said the family members. They also apprehended that even he dies it would also be difficult to take back his body for burial in the country.
“We are in confusion and very frustration as both our father and mother have no passports with them. I cannot understand as to what we have to do at this moment,” said Ishraque.
Quoting family members of Khoka, BNP chairperson’s media wing member Shairul Kabir Khan also said that the health condition of Khoka is critical while his physicians have given up hope of improving his health.
“In such a condition, Khaoka’s family members are worried about taking back him as he and his wife have no passports with them,” he said.
Family sources said they both Khoka and his wife applied with New York Consulate office to issue new passports for them but they did not receive any positive response from them.
Khoka’s wife Ismat Ara, daughter Sarika Sadeq and younger son Ishfaq Hosain was attending him in the hospital. His elder son Engr Ishraque Hossain went to New York after receiving news over the deterioration of Khoka’s health condition last week.
Khoka was admitted to the hospital on October 18 when he fells seriously sick and he was taken at ICU on October 28 as his health condition deteriorated further.
Khoka stepped into politics through Moulana Bhasani’s National Awami Party (NAP). Later, he joined BNP, and was made the party’s Dhaka city unit president. He was first elected MP in 1991. Later, he contested Dhaka City Corporation election in 2002 and was elected mayor. He held the post for nearly nine years. – Staff Reporter
The veteran freedom fighter has been suffering from kidney cancer is undergoing treatment at Memorial Slowen Catering Cancer Center in New York, the United States for a long time. Khoka has been living in the US since May 14 in 2014 and remained inactive in politics.
Meanwhile, the BNP yesterday offered doa and Milad mahfil seeking early recovery of Sadek Hossain Khoka.
The party organized a doa and Milad mahfil at the ground floor of the party central office after Asr prayer.
Speaking at the function as the chief guest, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the people to pray for Khoka and party’s jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Presided over by the president of Dhaka city (South) unit of BNP Habib-un-NabiKhan Sohel, the function was also addressed, among others, by Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. – Staff Reporter
