Senior BNP leaders have opened efforts to persuade party incarcerated party chief Khaleda Zia to move to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital for treatment despite making it clear earlier this month that she wanted to be treated at a private hospital under her personal doctors, say insiders,
The government, however, has been maintaining that the jail code does not allow a convict’s treatment in a private facility.
Two senior party leaders met Khaleda on Friday (Mar 15) and urged her to take treatment at the BSMMU hospital, according to people familiar with the matter.
Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alam and National Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan had gone to the Nazimuddin Road old jailhouse, when they discussed about her health and political issues with Khaleda, they say before adding the issue of moving to BSMMU hospital dominated the discussion but the party chief evaded a direct response.
“She did not agree or disagree over getting treated at BSMUU hospital. But we still stand by our demand to move her to sepcialised hospital. We are waiting for the government’s response,” Khan told Bangla Tribune.
Khaleda has been imprisoned at the old central jail in Old Dhaka since February 2018. She has received 17 years in prison over the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases. She is the only inmate at the prison.
The BNP chief was previously brought to BSMMU on Oct 7 for treatment at the recommendation of her medical board. She was at the hospital for over two weeks before being taken back to prison.
The 74-year-old is suffering from arthritis and several other medical problems.
She has had to sit in a wheelchair to attend the hearings in various cases against her. She was also seen in a wheelchair when taken from jail to the hospital last year.
BNP leaders have alleged that their chief is not receiving proper care in prison and that her health has ‘greatly deteriorated’.
On Mar 5, a BNP delegation went to the Secretariat to speak with the home minister to demand that she be transferred to Dhaka’s United Hospital for treatment.
After the meeting, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the medical board had gone to the prison on Feb 24 to conduct some tests on Khaleda Zia. He said that the BNP chief would be taken to BSMMU for tests ‘soon’ based on their recommendations for further tests.
On Mar 10, the prison authorities and BSMMU began preparing for the BNP chief to be transferred. Fire service vehicles, ambulances and law enforcement vehicles were seen outside the prison gates.
The hospital’s Cabins 621 and 622 were cleaned that morning in preparation for the arrival of the former prime minister. A number of police personnel were deployed in front of the cabin block.
But later in day, the prison authorities said that Khaleda refused to go to BSMMU for treatment despite their preparations to receive her.
A person, close to Khaleda’s family, told Bangla Tribune that party leaders would ask relatives to persuade her.
“Khaleda’s relatives will be asked to request her to move to the BSMMU hospital for treatment,” he said asking not to be named.
The BNP, however, says it’s the party chief’s call.
“It’s up to her whether she wants to get treated at the BSMMU or not,” National Standing Committee member Mahbubur Rahman told Bangla Tribune.
His colleague at the BNP policymaking forum, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain says the party chief wants to go to a private hospital.
“The government, however, is denying treatment at private medical facility citing the jail code. Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will let [the media] know about our next step,” he told Bangla Tribune.