The government is slowly pushing incarcerated BNP chief Khaleda Zia towards her own death by denying her treatment, said Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

“Is the government planning to kill her in prison by denying her treatment?” he said while speaking to the media on Friday (May 24) at the party chief’s Gulshan offices.

Asking why the government was so weak and has so little faith on itself, he added, “Is it because they came to power through vote rigging the night before?”

Fakhrul said that the current regime was pushing Khaleda to her death as they themselves have no connection with the people.

He said that the former prime minister is so ill “she can hardly get out of bed without help.”

He said that regular insulin intake isn’t helping Khaleda’s high blood sugar level and the pain in her shoulder joints have gotten worse.

“She can’t bend her legs. Her muscles are slowly becoming non-functional. We are repeatedly saying that she needs advanced treatment but the government isn’t paying any heed.”

Saying that Khaleda is eligible for bail in all the cases she has been sentenced in, Fakhrul added, “She can get bail. Everyone else did. Why the discrimination when it comes to her?”

He alleged that the government was interfering with the court which is in violation of the Constitution.

“BNP is prepared to bear the costs of her treatment but the government still won’t take any steps,” he said.

The senior BNP leader said that Khaleda’s family isn’t being allowed to kill her and “the government will have to take responsibility if something happens to her.”

Responding to queries on the matter, Fakhrul said that BNP going to Parliament had nothing to do with Khaleda’s release.

“We went to Parliament for the political condition, democracy and for the sake of the party.”

He urged the government to release Khaleda and then fight a political battle.