BNP seeks urgent medical treatment abroad for Khaleda Zia

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has issued a warning, giving the government 48 hours to allow party chairperson Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced medical treatment.

"There will be no profits by applying tactics. Arrangements must be taken by the government to send Begum Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment," said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a protest rally in front of the party's headquarters in the capital's Naya Paltan area on Sunday.

"If anything untoward happens to Begum Zia, then the government must take the responsibility," he said.

"Release Begum Khaleda Zia immediately. Not only has America imposed sanctions on you [government], but also the people of the country are set to sanction you [government]. So let the elections be held under a neutral caretaker government," Mirza Fakhrul said.

"Begum Khaleda Zia is seriously ill. Her physicians said that her physical condition was not good. There is no proper treatment for her in Bangladesh. It will be difficult to save her life if she is not allowed to go abroad for advanced medical treatment immediately," the BNP leader said.

"When Awami League realised that they would not be able to win in the elections, they annulled the caretaker government provision in parliament," he maintained.

"Today they [the government] feel uneasy. They have taken selfies and boastfully showed it. You [Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina] said that you would not go to the United States of America. The US visa restriction policy comes into effect during her [PM Hasina] stay in the US," he said.

Mirza Fakhrul opined that the US visa restriction policy is truly insulting to an independent and sovereign country. He pointed out that the visa curb came into effect due to the ruling Awami League.

He mentioned that a section of overenthusiastic police officials were carrying out oppression and suppression of the opponents just to perpetuate the power of the illegal government.

BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas alleged that a section of government officials were holding meetings regularly and were desperately trying to save the government, even resorting to killing and enforced disappearances of opponents.

He said these officials are even more desperate than the Awami League stalwarts.

BNP leaders and stalwarts from different wards of the capital joined the protest rally, which was presided over by the convener of the party's south unit Abdus Salam.

Member Secretary of Dhaka North unit of BNP Aminul Haque and Acting Member Secretary of Dhaka South unit Liton Mahmud jointly moderated the event, which was also addressed by Standing Committee Members Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury and Gayeshwar Chandra Roy.

A large contingent of police personnel was deployed in and around the rally venue and Naya Paltan area to avert any untoward incidents.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com