BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Monday demanded the relaxation of government restriction on ‘ailing’ Khaleda Zia’s treatment abroad on humanitarian and moral grounds.
“The issue of Khaleda Zia’s advanced treatment is not only humane, but also a moral one, and the demand of people. As she (Khaleda) received treatment aboard in the past, she may need to go there again. An application had been put forward in this regard, but it has not been accepted,” he said.
The BNP leader said, “On behalf of our party, I would like to say this ban (on leaving the country) should be relaxed so that she can go abroad for better treatment if she’s in dire need of it.”
Nazrul, a BNP standing committee member, made the demand while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at the grave of party founder Ziaur Rahman together with the leaders of Swechchasebak Dal’ newly-announced partial committee.
On September 15, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s conditional release from jail in two corruption cases was extended by another six months on two conditions as per section 401(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
As per the conditions, Khaleda Zia will not be allowed to go abroad for treatment as she will have to stay home and receive treatment there. She was released earlier on the same conditions on March 25.
Reacting to Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud’s remark that the demand for sending Khaleda back to jail can be raised due to BNP leader’s exaggeration, Nazrul Islam Khan said no one has the right to push their party chief and a three-time former prime minister towards death by depriving her of proper treatment.
“That’s why we would like to tell the Information Minister that it wouldn’t be right for him to include anything else with the release of Khaleda Zia or her imprisonment. Someone’s treatment is not a matter of politics,” he observed.
It seems like his predecessor Hasanul Haq Inu, Nazrul said the current Information Minister has become Khaleda Zia and her family’s ‘criticism affairs minister’ since he talks more against the BNP chief, Ziaur Rahman and Tarique Rahman than about his ministry and departments. “Perhaps, it’s the only responsibility of the ministry.”
source: UNB
