Dhaka, 7 Sept – BNP’s jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia on Friday demanded her medical treatment before carrying out trial process as she is very sick and her health condition is not good.The lawyers of the ex-prime minister of Bangladesh said this after emerging from central jail at Nazimuddin Road after meeting with the former premier who is serving her five years sentence in a graft case.
The lawyers demanded the shifting of Khaleda either to Apollo Hospital or United Hospital in the city within 24 hours to provide her proper treatment.
Talking to The Independent, her lawyer Advocate Zainul Abedin said Khaleda’s health condition is not good and she cannot speak.
“Her left side has become paralyzed. She cannot move her left side lag, hand and eye and she needs treatment on an emergency basis,” he said.
Zainul Abedin, who is also president of Supreme Court Bar Association, said the BNP chairperson asked for her treatment before proceedings of her case.
Earlier, a four-member lawyers’ delegation led by BNP standing committee member Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar met the party chairperson from 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm.
The other members of the lawyers’ delegation are Abdur Rezzak Khan, AJ Mohammed Ali and Zainul Abedin.
Earlier, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press conference yesterday alleged that the government, out of its political vengeance, is making heinous evil efforts to kill party chairperson Khaleda Zia by not providing her proper medical treatment and keeping in jail in a “fabricated case.”
“We are not only concerned but also got surprised and disappointed over what members of our leader Khaleda Zia who met her in jail yesterday (Thursday) told us about her health condition. She (Khaleda) is seriously ill but no step is being taken for her medical treatment. Indeed, the government is making heinous evil efforts to kill her,” he said.
He demanded the release of the party’s jailed ‘ailing’ chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail to save her life and provide better treatment at any specialised private hospital saying that they had stated about one specialised hospital for Khaleda’s proper treatment but there were many other specialised hospitals in the country.
The BNP leader, however, said that the 73-year old former premier and the party did not want her treatment at the government hospital as what he said the incumbent government ‘cannot’ be trusted.’
“The government must ensure her proper treatment otherwise it would have to take responsibility if anything happens to her. It will be held accountable for violation of the constitution and human rights, he said.
He said they would send a letter to the home minister for Khaleda Zia’s proper treatment and seeking permission so that its senior leaders can meet Khaleda in jail to see for themselves her health condition.
Opposing the trial of Zia Charitable trust graft case against Khaleda in a makeshift court in Old Dhaka Central Jail, Fakhrul said the government has got desperate to give the BNP chairperson punishment further.
He trashed the Prime Minister’s remark that Khaleda Zia’s trial is being held in an open court inside Old Dhaka Central Jail, claiming that her assertion is not correct.
“The Constitution says the trial must be held in public and in an open court. But they’re holding the trial in a small room (inside the jail) where there’s a sitting arrangement for only 10 lawyers. It’s not an open court,” he said.
He questioned as to why the government is keeping Khaleda in jail with various tricks even after she got bail from the apex court in the case she was convicted. “Why do you fear her? Free her from jail and hold a fair election. You don’t want to do it as you know people are not with you.”
Khaleda was sentenced to five years in jail in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case by a special Dhaka judge’s court on February 8 and was sent to the old Dhaka central jail. She obtained bail in the case but cannot be freed due to pending her bails in other cases.
In the last seven months, it was not possible to appear her in any court due to her illness. The government set up court in the prison to complete the argument in the Zia Charitable Trust case. On Wednesday she was taken to court in the jail by wheelchair.
Mirza Alamgir according to law of the land, no citizen can be tried if he or she is sick and without providing his/her treatment and whatever is happening in the case of Khaleda Zia in “totally inhuman and contrary to the constitution.”
He said the government knows its political existence will be in crisis if Khaleda Zia is freed that is why it is illegally detaining her in fabricated cases even after she secured bail in many cases
“The government is moving ahead with a blueprint to win the upcoming elections by keeping Khaleda Zia aside from elections and politics,” he added.
Speaking at the press conference, party standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said jail is not an open place and people have no access to it. “The so-called court was set up inside the jail. How can it be an open court where people don’t have any access? The Prime Minister made such wrong remarks to confuse people.”
BNP standing committee members Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, vice chairman Nitai Roy Chowdhury , Khaleda’s adviser Ataur Rahman Dhali, senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince and Publicity affairs secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, among others, were present at the press conference. – Staff Reporter
