The upcoming Feb 8 will mark one year since BNP chief Khaleda Zia was imprisoned in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and the party has announced programs throughout the country to mark the day.
Opposition alliance Jatiya Oikya Front leaders may also visit Khaleda at the old jailhouse in Dhaka’s Nazimuddin Road where she is the sole inmate.
Sources revealed that the coalition’s convener Dr Kamal Hossain will finalize the front’s visit to the prison after returning from Singapore at the end of the month.
Meanwhile, BNP leaders said that the programs marking one year of her imprisonment might stretch two-three days.
Their programs include-protests, hunger strikes, special prayer gatherings and prison visit to the former prime minister.
The top brass of BNP is scheduled to meet with her lawyers on Thursday (Jan 24) to finalize the programs.
“Khaleda is unfairly serving time,” the party’s Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed told Bangla Tribune.
“We are yet to decide the programs marking her year-long imprisonment,” he added saying that everything will be finalized after the Thursday meeting.
Saying that the party will definitely observe Khaleda’s year long imprisonment, another member of the party’s policymaking forum Jamiruddin Sircar echoed Moudud’s statement saying, that Oikya Front and BNP are agreed on the fact they will visit her.
Meanwhile, BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu said, “The party leaders and activists will focus on the issue of her release from prison.”
Jatiya Oikya Front leaders in the meantime said that the seven-point demands the alliance floated included the release of Khaleda as well as the release of all political prisoners.
A senior Oikya Front leader said if the government doesn’t meddle the front leaders will definitely visit the incarcerated BNP chief.
He added that Gano Forum chief Dr Kamal Hossain himself might visit her if his health permits.
“There have been no official discussions on the matter but Khaleda’s release is one of Oikya Front’s top demands,” said the coalition’s steering committee member and Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna.
He added that if they are permitted, then there is no stopping them from visiting her in prison.
“We are yet to discuss the matter but Oikya Front will decide what to do once Dr Kamal Hossain returns,” said Abdul Malek Ratan, JSD General Secretary and another member of the steering committee.
Khaleda’s counsel and BNP’s Joint Secretary General Mahbub Uddin Khokon said that she was not doing well and that they will once again sit discuss her lawsuits on Thursday.
Citing a few extracts from texts on Khaleda’s imprisonment, the BNP chairperson’s media wing member said that she had previously served more than year during the two year care taker regime along with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The former prime minister had also been imprisoned during HM Ershad’s dictatorship and was under house arrest in 1975 with her husband Ziaur Rahman.
Khaleda is currently serving a 10 year term for embezzling foreign donations made to Zia Orphanage Trust and is in trial for the Niko graft case.