Khaleda on her deathbed for lack of advanced treatment: Fakhrul

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is now on her deathbed due to lack of necessary advanced treatment abroad, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (23 June).

Speaking at a prayer and milad mahfil, he also accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of intentionally depriving Khaleda of advanced medical treatment overseas out of "personal political vendetta, with the intention of leading to her death."

"It's our misfortune that our leader Khaleda Zia is now in critical condition on her deathbed without receiving any [necessary] medical treatment [abroad]," the BNP leader said.

He alleged that the BNP chief has been imprisoned for a long period due to the vindictiveness of the current "oppressive fascist" government.

"In completely fabricated cases, she has been imprisoned with the intention to remove her from politics. Although she was allowed to stay at home, she is actually under complete confinement and remains imprisoned," Fakhrul said.

He said Khaleda fell ill while staying in Old Dhaka Central Jail, but no medical treatment was provided to her there.

"She complained repeatedly, but the government did not pay heed and did not provide her with medical care. Later, when she was taken to the hospital [by the jail authorities], she did not receive any proper treatment there either," the BNP leader said.

He said the government had granted Khaleda permission to stay at her residence in Gulshan, with the stipulation that she could not leave the country and must receive treatment locally.

"The medical board at Evercare Hospital has consistently stated that treating Madam's [Khaleda's] illness here in Bangladesh is not possible. To address her various problems, she requires treatment at a multidisciplinary hospital in a developed country," Fakhrul said.

He also said their party, Khaleda's family, civil society members, foreign missions, the EU, and international organisations have consistently appealed to the government to authorise her treatment at a specialised medical facility abroad.

"But Sheikh Hasina out of her personal political vendetta has denied Khaleda access to better medical treatment in order to kill her and to remove her from politics," alleged the BNP leader.

As part of the party's countrywide programme, BNP arranged a doa and milad mahfil at its Nayapaltan central office.

Earlier on Saturday night, the party announced that its all city and district units would arrange prayers like doa and milad mahfil on Sunday, seeking divine blessings for Khaleda's speedy healing.

Khaleda Zia was rushed to Evercare Hospital in an ambulance at around 3:30am on Saturday as she suddenly fell ill at her residence, 'Firoza' in Gulshan. She was quickly admitted to the CCU, where her medical treatment began under the supervision of a medical board.

The former prime minister, aged 79, has long been battling various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and issues related to the kidney, lung, heart, and eyes.

Since her conditional release from prison in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving medical care frequently at the hospital under the supervision of a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof. Shahabuddin Talukder.

Khaleda's doctors have been advising sending her abroad since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in November 2021.

On 26 October last year, three US specialist doctors completed a hepatic procedure known as the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS procedure) to stop water accumulation in Khaleda's stomach and chest, and bleeding in her liver.