President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Wednesday invited BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to attend a reception at his official residence Bangabhaban, marking the 54th Victory Day on Monday. Military Secretary to the President, Major General Mohammad Adil Chowdhury, handed over the invitation cards to BNP Standing Committee member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office. Chinese envoy meets BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia The President traditionally hosts a reception at Bangabhaban on December 16 to celebrate the country's great Victory Day. The nation will celebrate the 54th Victory Day on Monday amid festivities, paying tribute to the three million martyrs and freedom fighters of the Liberation War.

Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Syed Ahmed Maroof on Tuesday night met BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. The meeting was held in Khaleda Zia’s residence in the city’s Gulshan area. Saudi envoy meets Khaleda, invites her to perform umrah BNP standing committee member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain and its organizing secretary Shama Obaed were present. "The Pakistani High Commissioner exchanged greetings with Madam (Khaleda Zia). He inquired about her health,” Zahid Hossain said after the meeting. Earlier British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke and Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Issa bin Youssef Al-Duhailan met Khaleda Zia on September 5 and November 25 respectively.

The Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh, Issa bin Youssef Al-Duhailan, met BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Monday night and invited her to perform Umrah in his country. The hour-long meeting that began around 8pm was held at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office. Khaleda’s personal physician and BNP Standing Committee member Professor Dr. AZ M Zahid Hossain, along with her advisory council member Dr  Enamul Haque Chowdhury, were present at the meeting. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Dr Zahid said the Saudi Ambassador paid a courtesy call to the BNP chief. On behalf of the Saudi King and Crown Prince, Youssef Al-Duhailan conveyed their greetings to the BNP chief. He inquired about Khaleda Zia's health and wanted to know when she might be able to travel abroad for medical treatment, Zahid said. He said the Saudi envoy extended an invitation to the BNP chief to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia, either during her trip abroad or upon her return. In response to a question, Zahid mentioned that Khaleda refrained from making any comments on political matters during the meeting. This was the first meeting of Khaleda with any foreign envoy since she was sent to jail on February 8, 2018.  

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s visit to Evercare Hospital scheduled for Monday evening for her routine health check-up has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. "Madam Khaleda Zia was scheduled to go to Evercare Hospital in the evening for health check-ups as advised by her medical board. However, the visit was postponed due to unavoidable reasons,” said her personal physician Prof AZM Zahid Hossain. Khaleda Zia Admitted to Evercare Hospital Earlier, on the night of September 12, Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital due to sudden fever. After receiving treatment for six days, she returned home as per the medical board’s decision. Khaleda, an 80-year-old former Prime Minister, has been struggling with various health issues, including liver-cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes as well as problems related to kidneys, lungs, heart and eyes.

A Dhaka court on Sunday framed charges against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and seven others in Niko graft case. Judge of Dhaka Special Court-9 Sheikh Hafizur Rahman framed the charges. The court also fixed May 23 for recording the testimonies of the witnesses in the case. Advocate Masud Ahmmed Talukdar stood for Khaleda. Three other accused in the case- Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Yusuf Hossain and Businessperson Gias Uddin Al Mamun- were present at the court. Meanwhile, the court also issued a warrant for the arrest of another accused, Selim Bhuiya, in the case when his counsel Jakaria Haidar filed a petition seeking time. Earlier, the court deferred the hearing on charge framing in the case for several times. On December 9, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case accusing Khaleda and four others of causing a loss of Tk 137.77 billion to the state by signing an oil and gas exploration deal with Canadian company Niko on behalf of the state that was deemed to not place Bangladesh's national interest above all other considerations, and swayed by graft. Also read: Hearing on Niko case charge framing Mar 18 The anti-graft body pressed charges in court against 11 people, including Khaleda, in May 2008. The other accused in the case are former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Yusuf Hossain, former Bapex general manager Mir Mainul Haq, Giasuddin Al Mamun, former parliamentarian MAH Selim and former vice-president of South-Asia affairs Niko Kashem Sharif. Among the accused, BNP Standing Committee Member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain and former secretary of Bapex Shafiur Rahman died during the trial proceedings. Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty and convicted in another corruption case the same year. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order by suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she would stay at her Gulshan house and would not leave the country. Since then, her release term has been extended every six months following the family's plea.The 77-year-old BNP chief has been staying at her Gulshan residence since her release in 2020. She also received treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital six times since she was infected with Covid-19 in April 2021.  

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia can take part in politics, but she is barred from contesting in the next general election because of her conviction for corruption, Law Minister Anisul Huq said on Sunday. The government will not interfere in her doing politics, the minister said adding “Whether she will do politics or not, it’s her personal matter.” The minister was talking to reporters after attending an orientation course held at Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) in the city. “The constitution states that any person who has been sentenced to two years of imprisonment cannot participate in the elections. There is nothing new to say,” said Anisul. Read more: BNP demands unconditional release of Khaleda The BNP leader has been convicted of cases of corruption in Zia Orphanage Trust and sentenced to 10 years in jail. In another corruption case involving Zia Charitable Trust she has been given seven years of imprisonment. Her sentences have been suspended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on humanitarian grounds because of her poor health.

The High Court on Monday extended BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail in two defamation cases filed in Dhaka and Narail districts. The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam passed the order after hearing a petition. The bail was extended until the disposition of the two cases. Barrister Kaisar Kamal stood for Khaleda Zia. On December 21, 2015, Khaleda Zia at a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh raised questions about the actual number of Liberation War martyrs saying, "There're controversies over how many were martyred in the Liberation War. There're also many books and documents on the controversies." Reacting to Khaleda's remarks, Raihan Farooque Imam of Naragati in Narail, filed a case with the Cognisance Court on December 24, 2015. On January 5, 2016, Jananetri Parishad President AB Siddiqui filed another case with Dhaka Metropolitan Chief Magistrate Court. The High Court on August 13 and 14, 2018 granted six-month bail to Khaleda in the two cases. Later, the state counsel filed a petition seeking stay on the High Court order and the Appellate Division also upheld the HC order. Then the bail was extended several times in the two cases.  

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital on Sunday for some more medical tests, six days after she had several required tests in the same hospital. The BNP chief reached the hospital around 9:45pm from her Gulshan residence, said her media wing member Shamsuddin Didar. She was later admitted to the hospital as per doctors’ advice, he said. Khaleda’s medical team member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said the BNP chief will undergo some more medical tests as per the advice of her medical board. Zahid said the medical board is expected to sit on Monday to review the test reports and decide the next course of her treatment. Read: EVMs to be used in maximum 150 constituencies in next national polls: EC Khaleda Zia is staying at a cabin in the hospital. Earlier on August 22, Khaleda underwent Echo, ECG, USG, X-ray and blood tests, as a follow-up after coronary angioplasty. Reviewing the reports of those tests, the medical board recommended admitting the BNP chief to the hospital for some more tests. Khaleda, a 77-year-old former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis. On June 10, the BNP chief suffered a heart attack due to a 95 per cent block in her left artery and a stent was placed there by removing the blockage at the same hospital the following day. Khaleda spent some time in Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year. Read: Khaleda undergoes required medical tests at Evercare Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, on conditions that she would stay at her Gulshan house, and would not leave the country. The BNP chief was admitted to Evercare Hospital six times since she was infected with Covid-19 in April 2021. Khaleda’s family submitted several applications to the government seeking permission to send her to an advanced centre abroad for the treatment of her multiple health complications, but the government has rejected it every time as she was convicted of corruption by the court in two cases.

BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia turns ‘77' on Monday. The party will only arrange doa mahfils across the country on Monday seeking long life and early recovery of Khaleda. BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday said their party’s all city, district, upazila and thana units will arrange the doa and milad mahfils at their offices seeking the salvation of the departed souls of the party leaders and activists who died in the ongoing democratic movement and the recovery of those injured.  He made the announcement at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.  “Our beloved leader’s (Khaleda’s) 77th birthday is tomorrow (Monday).  Begum Khaleda Zia is an embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of the democracy-loving people of this country. All her life she struggled and did politics for democracy,” Rizvi said. He alleged that Khaleda has been kept in jail so that the government can continue its ‘illegal activities. "We demand her unconditional release." Read: Khaleda turns ‘76’ Saturday As in the last six years, the party has no programme to cut any cake to celebrate the birthday in the early hours of Monday. . Contacted, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told UNB that they have no programme, except doa mahfil,  to celebrate Khaleda’s birthday as she is sick. Besides, he said they have not been celebrating her birthday for the last few years with any programme as per Khaleda’s directives. “We only pray for her wellbeing on the day.” Amid criticisms by Awami League leaders for celebrating her birthday on the National Mourning Day, BNP marked her 71st, 72nd and 73rd, 74th, 75th and 76th birthdays by holding doa mahfils instead of cutting any cake. Khaleda was sent to Old Dhaka Central Jail she was convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case by a lower court on February 8, 2018. On March 25, 2020, the BNP chief was released from jail upon an executive order on some conditions considering her age and humanitarian ground following an application by her family.  According to BNP’s website, Khaleda Zia was born to Iskandar Majumder and Taiyaba Majumder on August 15, 1945, in Dinajpur district. She is the fourth among her four sisters and two brothers. Meanwhile, the nation is set to observe the National Mourning Day on the same day commemorating the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members on August 15, 1975. Khaleda and her party used to observe August 15 as her birthday since 1991 amid controversy over her date of birth. Awami League leaders have long been claiming that her birthday is September 5, 1945, as per her marriage certificate while August 19, 1946, as per her first passport. Khaleda herself put the date as August 9, 1944 while registering for her matriculation exams, they said.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with her close relatives, including sister Selina Islam and granddaughter Zahiya Rahman at her Gulshan residence on Sunday.  Selina will go to Khaleda’s house bringing traditional food items at noon on Eid, while senior BNP  leaders, including secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, will exchange greetings with her in the evening. Talking to UNB, Selina said her sister is still sick and remains under the observation of doctors.  Also read: Khaleda returns home from hospital “So, we can’t always meet her directly any time we desire. As tomorrow (Sunday) is Eid, I will go to her house and spend the day with her,” she said. Selina said Khaleda’s granddaughter Zahia, the younger daughter of late Arafat Rahman Koko, will also spend the Eid day with her. She said some other close relatives, including her younger brother Shamim Eskandar's wife Nasrin Eskandar and mothers-in-law of her two sons, are also likely to meet the BNP chief. Thrice-former prime minister Khaleda, 76, has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, heart, kidney, lung and eye problems. Also read: Khaleda to return home from hospital today She returned home after a 14-day stay in the capital's Evercare Hospital on June 24. The hospital visit was prompted by a mild heart attack, that led to doctors inserting an artificial ring, or stent, in one of her arteries where it had 95% blockage.  Two more blockages were found in the arteries of the BNP chairperson through a coronary angiogram, which may require stenting later.