Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to hold a rally at 3:00pm on Saturday in front of its Naya Paltan central office, demanding the unconditional release of their chairperson Khaleda Zia.
BNP senior joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced at a press conference on Friday at the party’s Naya Paltan office that all preparations for the rally were complete.
Rizvi mentioned that the Dhaka Metropolitan Police assured their cooperation in holding the rally at the party office.
'We sent a letter to the police commissioner’s office about our rally, and a BNP delegation also met with police officials on Thursday, who assured us of their cooperation,' Rizvi said.
The BNP will also organize rallies in all metropolitan cities on July 1 and in all district headquarters on July 3, demanding Khaleda Zia’s release.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced on Wednesday a three-day nationwide program demanding the unconditional release of Khaleda Zia, who is currently receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital.
Khaleda Zia was taken to Evercare Hospital on June 22 after suddenly falling ill at her Gulshan residence.
A team of specialist doctors, led by Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, successfully implanted a pacemaker in her chest the following day. She is now being treated in a cabin with CCU facilities at the hospital.
On June 11, 2022, Khaleda Zia was diagnosed with three blockages in her heart, one of which blocked 95% of a vessel, and was treated with a stent placement at that time.
Khaleda, a former prime minister, aged 79, has been battling various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and issues with her kidneys, lungs, heart, and eyes.
Since her conditional release from jail in 2020, the BNP chief has frequently received treatment at the hospital under a medical board headed by cardiologist Professor Shahabuddin Talukder.
Khaleda was sent to Old Dhaka Jail after a lower court sentenced her to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. She was later convicted in another corruption case the same year.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily released Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with the condition that she stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country. This has been extended multiple times to keep her out of jail.
Since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in November 2021, Khaleda’s doctors have been recommending she be sent abroad for treatment.
On October 26, 2023, three US specialist doctors completed a hepatic procedure to stop water accumulation in Khaleda Zia’s stomach and chest and bleeding in her liver.
BDST: 1346 HRS, JUNE 29, 2024
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