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Download PDF Detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s cantonment residence is being cleaned up in anticipation of her release though the former prime minister has yet to appeal to the government.
Party leaders said they would not submit any petition to the caretaker government for their chief’s release. They want the government to act on its own to free her without attaching any strings.
Meantime, Khaleda did not agree to a government proposal for having arthritis therapy at a city hospital. Instead, she suggested that the authorities send doctors to the makeshift jail she has been detained, said a source close to her family.
In another development, an application was submitted to the Chief Adviser’s Office yesterday, seeking necessary measures to send Tarique Rahman, elder son of Khaleda Zia, abroad for treatment.
Tarique’s wife Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman turned in the petition where they mentioned that Tarique, also senior joint secretary general of BNP, needs specialised orthopaedic surgical correction that they said is not available in the country.
The two are likely to submit another application to the home secretary today.
Sharmila Rahman, wife of Khaleda’s other son Arafat Rahman Koko, has already submitted an application to the interim administration for her husband to be sent overseas for treatment. Koko has various medical conditions and been under treatment since his arrest in September last year.
According to senior BNP leaders, the military-backed administration has no alternative to releasing Khaleda if it is to make the ongoing dialogue successful. And that is why the party policymakers favour pressure on the government to release her without requiring any petition.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday said he thinks the way Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina was released has given BNP a chance to turn things to its advantage.
He was addressing the new committee of Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal after placing floral wreaths at the grave of late president Ziaur Rahman, also founder of BNP.
Insiders said the BNP leaders believe the party would gain the competitive edge over its rivals if it succeeds in forcing the government to release Khaleda without having to submit any petition.
“No petition should be needed for her release. We will however follow anything she suggests,” observed the BNP secretary general, adding that they hope the medical board’s recommendations will suffice.
“Everyone believes that this government has been detaining her in cases filed for political reasons. Now it is their responsibility to decide which process to follow for her release.
“She would be out automatically once the false charges against her are withdrawn,” he continued.
Asked about the other things incidental to her release, her lawyer Nasir Uddin Asim yesterday told The Daily Star that the decision in this regard rests with the former prime minister.
“She has already asked the government to send her sons abroad for better treatment and till now she hasn’t changed her mind,” he said.
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