BNP chief Khaleda Zia did not seem to be seriously ill, according to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital’s director.
“We have seen her walking, in that case it can’t be said she is seriously ill. But the medical board in charge of her can say better about her physical condition,” Brig Gen Abdullah Al Harun told the media on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, former prime minister Khaleda was brought to the hospital for medical tests, following which she was taken back to the prison.
Replying to query, Harun said that they expect to get the test reports as soon as possible and forward it to the medical board formed for her treatment.
Dismissing BNP allegations of insufficient medical treatments and forcing the party chief to walk, Haruns said, “We had arranged for a wheel-chair, but she said she doesn’t need it.
Khaleda has been sentenced to five years in jail on charges of misappropriating foreign funds meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust.
She has been serving her term at the old jailhouse in Nazimuddin Road as the lone inmate since Feb 8, when the court convicted her of a breach of trust by a public servant under the Bangladesh Penal Code.
Amid reports of Khaleda’s illness, a board was formed headed by Dhaka Medical College Department of Orthopedics chief Md Shamsuzzaman. Other board members are Dr Mansur Habib (neurology), Titu Mia, and Soheli Rahman (physical medicine).
The board examined the BNP chairperson in prison last week and said that her illness was not serious.
Khaleda Zia’s personal doctors had said she had heart, eye and knee problems and have to take medications.
On Apr 8, jail authorities denied a request from her personal doctors to meet her.
The BNP has expressed its concern over the party chief’s health. BNP leader Moudud Ahmed has claimed the board formed for her treatment was just for show.
On Friday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited Khaleda.
“Madam’s health is not good,” he told the media later, when he urged authorities to allow her personal physicians to examine her.
“Her arthritis has been deteriorating. She is finding it difficult to walk. She also has symptoms of neurological problems,” he said.
However, when 73-year-old Khaleda arrived the hospital on Saturday, she walked to get on the elevator from the car despite the authorities arranged for a wheel-chair.
Around 11:30am, the vehicle carrying her reached the hospital premises.
BSMMU authorities already had designated Cabin 512 for her, where the medical board examined her and collected blood samples for diagnostic tests.
She was then taken the Department of Radiology and Imaging’s X-Ray Room 1/A, just beside the cabin block for x-rays.
Khaleda was allowed for a brief meeting with her deceased son Arafat Rahman Coco’s wife and daughter, who had been waiting at the hospital prior to her arrival.
The BNP chief’s personal physicians— Neurology specialist M Wahiduzzaman and Medicine's FM Siddiqui — were also allowed to meet her.
Following the medical tests, the prison authorities headed for Nazimuddin Road around 1:30pm to reach the old jailhouse 30 minutes later.