Staff Reporter :
Law Minister Anisul Huq has confirmed that a decision regarding the extension of Khaleda Zia’s suspension of jail term and the possibility of her receiving medical treatment abroad will be reached by March 25, 2024.
The government is currently deliberating on whether to grant permission for the BNP Chairperson to travel abroad for medical purposes.
Having reviewed the application seeking the extension of Khaleda’s suspended jail sentence and approval for her to seek medical treatment overseas, the minister said that he has yet to provide his opinion on the matter.
He emphasized that the final decision will be disclosed by March 25.
Addressing reporters on Monday, the minister clarified that the decision announcement would be delayed until Tuesday, as the application and pertinent documents were only received on Monday.
Expressing confusion over the repeated applications, the minister reiterated that Khaleda Zia’s release was conducted under section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), suggesting that there might be limitations on further action.
He affirmed that the decision to prevent her from traveling abroad remains unchanged, despite allowing foreign doctors to provide treatment locally.
A petition was submitted on Sunday to the Ministry of Home Affairs, urging an extension of Khaleda Zia’s suspended jail term and permission for her to seek enhanced medical treatment abroad. The petitioner, Khaleda Zia’s younger brother, Shamim Eskander, underscored the imminent risk to her life.
Khaleda Zia was released from jail on March 25, 2020, after the government suspended her jail sentence for six months.
She had been imprisoned on February 8, 2017, following a conviction for five years’ imprisonment by a special court in Dhaka in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. Subsequently, on October 30 the following year, the High Court increased her sentence to 10 years after dismissing her appeal in the case.
Additionally, Khaleda Zia was convicted by another special court in Dhaka in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case on October 29, 2018, and sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment.
