BNP announces rally in Dhaka demanding Khaleda Zia’s release

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has announced to organise a rally at Naya Paltan in the capital on 29 June (Saturday) to press home its demand of the release of party chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The de facto opposition has also announced to organise rallies in the metros on 1 July and in all the districts on 3 July.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced this at a press briefing after a joint meeting of the party Wednesday.

Several central standing committee members of the party and its leaders of the Dhaka city committees attended the joint meeting at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters.

While announcing the programmes, Mirza Fakhrul said Khaleda Zia is very sick, she could die at any moment. But she is not being provided with the facility of better treatment on the excuse of the court. That is why they were taking the programmes.

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia has been undergoing medical treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since Friday. A pacemaker was fitted in her heart two days ago.

The BNP chairperson’s personal physician AZM Zahid Hossain said the pacemaker has been working well. The physicians have shifted her to the cabin. They are providing medical care to her round-the-clock.

Khaleda Zia has been suffering from heart ailments from beforehand, with three blockages. Her personal physician said that after careful observation and consultation with foreign physicians and the medical board, the pacemaker was fitted.

When her health condition deteriorated in the early hours of Saturday, at around 3:30 am, she was rushed to Evercare Hospital.

The 79-year-old Khaleda Zia is suffering from arthritis, and ailments of the heart, liver and lungs and also has diabetes.

Earlier she was admitted to Evercare Hospital on 2 May. The physicians there treated at the CCU for two days.

She was previously admitted to Evercare Hospital on 9 August last year and remained under medical care for over five months before being discharged on 11 January.

Her family had requested the government to permit her treatment abroad, but it was denied. Later, three specialist physicians from the US were brought in to perform a surgery on her blood vessels on 27 October, last year.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases and sent to prison on 8 February 2018.

She had spent over two years in jail. On 25 March 2020, under government executive order, her sentence was conditionally suspended and she was released. Since then every six months the suspension of her sentence is being extended by the government.