BANGLADESH

Khaleda has to return to jail for seeking permission to go aboard: Law Minister

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Tuesday turned down the possibility of allowing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to travel abroad for better treatment.

“The government will consider BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s appeal to go abroad for medical treatment if she makes a fresh petition after returning to jail” the minister said at the ongoing 15th session of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad.

“No fresh order can be given over a solved petition anymore. If she applies again after going to jail, then we will consider it. But there is no scope to consider any fresh step under the section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in these circumstances,” he told Parliament.

The Law Minister said this replying to the remarks of BNP MP Rumeen Farhana during the discussion over a proposal to send the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Remuneration and Privileges) Bill, 2021 to the Scrutiny Committee.

During the discussion, Rumeen demanded the government allow Khaleda Zia to go abroad for medical treatment considering her physical condition. The BNP MP said the government has the authority to give Khaleda Zia the scope under section 401 of CrPC.

“If the government wants it can allow the party leader to travel outside the country as a person on bail under special consideration.”  She said

Anisul Huq suggested Rumeen Farhana to see the decisions given under the same section of CrPC in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

He said law is equal for all. But Khaleda Zia enjoys more facilities than what she is entitled as a convicted prisoner. She gets such facilities because of the humanity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. But the BNP rehabilitated and rewarded the killers of Bangabandhu.

The Law Minister said the August 21 grenade attack was carried out to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, where Tarique Rahman is the prime accused in the grenade attack case. Even then she is kind to Khaleda Zia who is now getting treatment.

Anisul Huq said he never said there is no scope to allow Khaleda Zia to go abroad as per Section 401 of CrPC. Her jail sentence also remains suspended under this Section 401, though no section was mentioned in the petition filed on behalf of Khaleda Zia. It is the government who found out this Section and disposed of her petition as per the Section.

There is no scope to reconsider an already decided appeal under the same section, said the Law Minister.

Earlier on Thursday, Khaleda’s younger brother, Shamim Iskander, submitted an application urging the government again to allow the ailing former prime minister to go abroad for advanced treatment.

In the application, he said, the government’s cooperation was sought to send Khaleda abroad either by granting her bail through the court or giving permission.

Khaleda’s personal medical team member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain confirmed the matter, saying it is the fifth time the BNP chief’s family sought the government’s permission to take her abroad.

Her family applied to the government last time in August this year to take her abroad for better treatment, but the government turned it down saying there is no scope for a convicted person to avail such a scope.

Khaleda has been undergoing treatment in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of Evercare Hospital in the capital.

On Saturday, she was readmitted to the hospital for follow-up treatment, nearly a week after she was discharged from it.

It is for the third time that the 76-year-old BNP chief was admitted to the hospital this year for various health complications.

On 25 October, the BNP chief underwent a surgery and biopsy test at Evercare Hospital as she had a small lump in one part of her body.

Later, her biopsy report was sent to the USA and the UK for review and no sign of cancer was detected.

The BNP chief’s physicians said she has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ophthalmological and dental complications.

A physician at her medical team said Khaleda is now suffering from a critical cardiac problem while her blood sugar is out of control and haemoglobin level in her blood has dropped.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on 25 March last year.

On 19 September, the government for the fourth time extended the suspension of her jail term with conditions that she will not leave the country and stay at her Gulshan home.

 

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