Khaleda Zia cannot be sent abroad for treatment under current law: Minister

There is no legal provision allowing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to be sent abroad for medical treatment, Law Minister Anisul Huq said today (23 June).

“As far as I know, a process has been initiated to place a pacemaker on Khaleda Zia as part of her cardiovascular treatment. We have not received any application regarding sending her abroad,” the law minister told reporters after attending the inauguration of a training course for senior assistant judges at the Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) in Dhaka.

“Khaleda Zia’s jail sentence has been suspended under an executive order which was issued based on a specific law. According to this law, there is no provision for sending her abroad,” he added.

Khaleda Zia, who has been hospitalised multiple times in recent months due to her deteriorating health, was released from jail on 25 March 2020. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina suspended her jail sentence on humanitarian grounds through an executive order.

The BNP leader’s health has been a subject of concern, with party members repeatedly calling for her to be allowed to seek treatment overseas. 

Recently, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that Khaleda Zia’s condition was critical and urged the government to permit her to travel abroad for advanced medical care.

Responding to a question about the necessity of creating a new law to collect wealth statements from government officials, the law minister said it was “unnecessary”. 

“The existing provision requires government officials to submit their wealth statement at the entry stage of their services and from time to time they have to update those,” he explained