Khaleda Zia's family looking into hospitals abroad for her treatment
The family of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is looking into various hospitals abroad for her medical treatment. They are hoping to receive a positive response to their application to take her abroad. A source within Khaleda Zia's family today, Friday, told Prothom Alo that they are making these preparations so that she can be rushed abroad immediately if the government gives its permission.
Khaleda Zia's family is making inquiries about hospitals in four different countries.
Khaleda Zia has been under treatment in a precarious condition for over one and a half months at the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. Her medical board has long been advising that she be taken abroad for a liver transplant surgery. Her personal physician AZM Zahid Hossain told Prothom Alo that that Khaleda Zia's heart and kidney complications have worsened due to liver cirrhosis. Her health condition in hospital has been fluctuating. She requires round-the-clock medical attention.
In the meantime, the BNP chairperson's younger brother Shamim Iskandar has applied to the home ministry asking for Khaleda Zia to be permanently released and taken abroad for treatment.
A senior official of the home ministry, preferring anonymity, on Friday told Prothom Alo, an application was made on Monday for permission to take Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment. This application submitted by Khaleda Zia's younger brother Shamim Iskandar has been referred to the law ministry for legal opinion.
When asked about the matter, law minister Anisul Huq on Friday told Prothom Alo, the application for permission to take Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment has been sent from the home ministry to the law ministry. This application made by Khaleda Zia's brother will be scrutinised and a decision will be made shortly.
The family members are hopeful that they will receive permission to take Khaleda Zia abroad. That is why they have begun making inquiries about hospitals abroad. A member of her family, on condition of anonymity, said on Saturday, Khaleda Zia is suffering from liver cirrhosis. They have learnt that there advanced medical treatment facilities for this in Germany, the US, Australia and Singapore. They are looking into relevant hospitals in those countries so that they can rush the ailing Khaleda Zia there the moment permission is granted.
A member of the medical board said, it is urgent that Khaleda Zia be taken abroad for treatment immediately, considering her present condition.
While several ministers have been making negative comments about sending Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment, many lawyers of the Supreme Court feel that the government can allow her to be taken abroad, without having to resort to the court.
Senior lawyer of the Supreme Court Shadeen Malik has told Prothom Alo, the government has given Khaleda Zia conditional release in keeping with Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. So the question of going to jail or resorting to the court does not arise. Section 401 says that the release can be granted on executive order without any conditions. The government can even waive the sentence. And so, he feels, the government can release Khaleda Zia unconditionally and provide permission for her to go abroad on treatment.
Anti-Corruption Commission legal counsel Khurshid Alam said that the Appellate Division had rejected Khaleda Zia's bail plea, but without consulting the court, the government had released Khaleda Zia on humanitarian grounds. So now it is the government that must decide on the issue of sending Khaleda Zia abroad.
Senior lawyer ZI Khan Panna also came up with the same view. He said, the suspension of Khaleda Zia's sentence and her release were not carried out at the orders of the court. The government did this upon executive orders. So that ministers cannot now say it is the jurisdiction of the court. He said it was a matter for government decision.
Khaleda Zia was imprisoned on 8 February 2018 after she was convicted in two cases. The former prime minister was in jail for over two years.
Khaleda Zia, who was convicted in Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases, was released on 25 March 2020 by the government postponing her conviction on conditions through an executive order.
On 12 September the home minister issued a notification to suspend Khaleda Zia's sentence and extend her release by another six months.