Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital early Saturday after her health condition suddenly deteriorated.
BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan confirmed the matter to the media.
He said that Khaleda Zia was admitted to Critical Care Unit (CCU) of the hospital around 3:30 am on Saturday following advice of her personal physicians.
Earlier on May 2, 2024, she was admitted to the same hospital and discharged two days later.
The 78-year-old former prime minister has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and issues related to kidney, lung, heart, and eye.
Khaleda Zia was sent to the old Dhaka Central Jail after a lower court had sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.
The court found her guilty in another corruption case later in the same year.
The government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020 amid the coronavirus outbreak with the condition that she must stay in her Gulshan house in the capital and not leave the country.
That has since been extended multiple times to keep her out of jail.
The BNP chairperson's personal physician and also vice-president of the party, AZM Zahid Hossain, said that Begum Zia was being given treatment at the hospital's CCU under the direct supervision of her medical board.
He said that she has been suffering from heart, liver, kidney, diabetic and other complications. Dr Zahid requested the country people to pray for her early recovery.
Earlier Begum Zia was admitted to the hospital on August 9, 2023 and returned to her residence on January 11, 2024 after receiving treatment over five months.
BNP and her family members requested the government several times in the past to allow her to go abroad for advanced treatment but in vain as the government says that the existing laws don't permit her to go abroad for treatment as she is behind bars.
Meanwhile, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited Evercare Hospital to enquire about the health condition and treatment of Khaleda Zia.
He went to the hospital after 3:00 pm and stayed there for some time.
In another development, BNP organised a special doa and milad mahfil at Nayapaltan Jame Mosque seeking early recovery of ailing party chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Senior joint secretary general of BNP Ruhul Kabir Rizvi attended the doa and milad mahfil held after Zuhr prayers.
Joint secretary general of BNP Advocate Abdus Salam, voluntary affairs secretary Mir Sarafat Ali Sopu and assistant organising secretary Abdul Khaleque were present, among others.
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