Khaleda Zia’s illness Delays Freedom Fighters’ rally

Khaleda Zia’s illness has led to the postponement of the Freedom Fighters’ rally that was supposed to take place in Dhaka this Saturday. Her planned trip abroad for medical treatment has also been delayed due to her health condition.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the Secretary General of BNP, confirmed the news during a press conference on Thursday morning at the party chairperson‍‍`s office in Gulshan.

He said, "Madam has been feeling unwell since the night before last. Because of this, following the advice of her doctors, the Freedom Fighters‍‍` rally scheduled for Saturday has been postponed."

The rally, which was being organized by the Nationalist Freedom Fighters‍‍` Party, was set to be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Agargaon.

Khaleda Zia‍‍`s personal doctor, Professor AZM Zahid Hossain, shared that "she is under close observation by doctors at her Gulshan residence. Due to her illness, her planned overseas trip for medical care has also been postponed."

On October 29, it was revealed that Khaleda Zia, after being released from a corruption conviction, was planning to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The original plan was for her to travel to London this month to stay with her son, Tarique Rahman. She was supposed to be flown there via a special air ambulance.

From London, Khaleda Zia was expected to be taken to another country to receive treatment at a specialized medical center. She also planned to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia during this time.

The interim government had previously assured that Khaleda Zia, as a former Prime Minister, would receive all necessary support for her treatment abroad. The visa processes for both the UK and Saudi Arabia had been completed.

At 79 years old, Khaleda Zia is dealing with several serious health issues, including liver cirrhosis, heart disease, lung problems, arthritis, kidney issues, and diabetes. 

She has been receiving extensive treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, including stays in the ICU, where a team of doctors has been overseeing her care.

Khaleda Zia was sentenced to prison in 2018 after being convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. Initially sentenced to five years in prison, her sentence was later extended to 10 years after an appeal in the High Court. 

She was also sentenced to another seven years in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina used her executive powers to temporarily suspend Khaleda Zia’s sentence for six months, following a request from her family. Khaleda Zia was released on March 25, 2020, and has since been staying at her Gulshan residence, Firoza.

Since then, the government, led by Sheikh Hasina, has extended Khaleda Zia‍‍`s release every six months based on requests from her family, but with two conditions: she must stay at home for treatment, and she is not allowed to travel abroad.

Despite her temporary release, Khaleda Zia has been hospitalized multiple times for medical care. 

Her family has made several requests to allow her to seek treatment abroad, but the government has consistently denied these requests, citing the conditions of her release.

On August 5, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina‍‍`s government, President Md. Shahabuddin used his powers under Article 49 of the Constitution to pardon Khaleda Zia, clearing her of the sentence.

After her release, Khaleda Zia attended the Armed Forces Day reception at Sena Kunja in Dhaka Cantonment on November 21.