The family of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has submitted an application to the government seeking further extension of her conditional release and allowing her to go abroad for receiving advanced treatment. On behalf of the family, Khaleda's younger brother Shamim Iskander recently submitted the application to the Home Ministry, an official at the ministry said on Tuesday. Contacted, Law Minister Anisul Huq told UNB, “As the suspension of Khaleda Zia jail sentences is going to end on September 24, her family has applied for its extension.” In the application, the minister said, the BNP chief’s family claimed that her physical condition has worsened due to post-Covid complications, and they again sought the government permission to send her abroad for treatment. Read: Ailing Khaleda’s family seeks permission to send her abroad Upon their application, Anisul said, the Home Ministry sent a file to the Law Ministry a few days back seeking its legal opinion. “We gave our opinion over the matter, and sent the file back to the Home Ministry this (Tuesday) morning,” he said. The minister said the Home Ministry will now send the file to the Prime Minister’s Office for approval. Asked what opinion he gave, Anisul declined to disclose it. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year. Read: Khaleda’s family submits application seeking her release The government extended her release for six more months on August 27 last year and it was extended further for another six months on March 15 last. Khaleda Zia tested positive for Covid-19 on April 10, and she was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27. She received treatment there until June 19 for post-Covid complications and some other underlying health problems. On May 5, her family applied to the government seeking permission to take her abroad for better treatment, but the government turned it down saying there is no scope for a convicted person to avail of such a scope.

The family of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital, filed an application to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Wednesday night seeking permission to send her abroad for advanced treatment. Khaleda’s younger brother Shamim Iskander met the minister at his Dhanmondi residence around 8:30pm and submitted the application to him, Sharif Mahmud, public relations officer of the Home Ministry, told UNB. Quoting the minister, he said the application will be sent to the Law Ministry for assessing the legal aspects. The 76-year-old BNP chief, who tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time on April 24, was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27 for a thorough health checkup. She was shifted to the CCU of the hospital with breath complications around 4pm on Monday. Her breathing problem later eased. Also read: No change in Khaleda’s health condition: Doctor On April 28, a 10-member medical board, headed by Prof Shahabuddin Talukder, was formed for the treatment of Khaleda at the Evercare Hospital a day after her admission there. A personal physician of the BNP chief, wishing anonymity, said Khaleda’s condition did not improve much though she has been kept at the CCU. He said fluids were removed from her lungs while her oxygen saturation level has been fluctuating without oxygen support. The doctor also said the BNP chief’s blood sugar is also not under control. Under the circumstances, he said, the 10-member medical board recommended sending Khaleda aboard for advanced treatment after assessing her all reports of the medical tests on Wednesday evening. Also read: Khaleda shifted to CCU with breathing problem: Doctor Later, her family members decided to send an application to the Home Minister for sending her aboard. Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir went to the Evercare Hospital in the evening and enquired about Khaleda’s health condition from her doctors. Khaleda Zia tested positive for Covid-19 on April 10 as eight people at her residence were infected with the virus. She underwent the second Covid-19 test on April 24 and her report was positive.   Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year.   She was released from the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) the same day, and she has been staying at her Gulshan house since then.   Also read: Khaleda Zia infected with Covid-19 On August 27 last year, the government extended her release for six more months and it was extended again for six months on March 15 last.   On February 8, 2018, Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail after a lower court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. The High Court later doubled her jail term.   Khaleda was found guilty in another corruption case the same year. Her party claims both the cases are politically motivated.  

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s family members have submitted an application to the Home Ministry seeking her release from jail.