Khaleda release on family request not possible, says Obaidul

Ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said that the issue of freeing jailed Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia could only be considered following the recommendation of her physicians.

Addressing a press conference at the AL president’s Dhanmondi office, Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, said that the request of Khaleda’s party and her family would not be acceptable as the court already rejected their appeal filed on humanitarian grounds.

‘Only the recommendations of Khaleda’s physicians  will be acceptable,’ Quader said.

He said that the application of Khaleda’s family submitted to the home ministry was valueless as the court rejected her bail several times.

Earlier on Monday, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that the family’s appeal to temporarily release Khaleda Zia from jail was sent to the law ministry seeking a legal opinion.

Kamal clarified that his ministry does not have the authority to release the former prime minister and that Khaleda’s family must move the court to this end.

‘That is why we have forwarded the appeal to the law ministry for its opinion,’ he said, adding that the issue would have to be resolved through the judiciary.

On Sunday, Khaleda’s family submitted an application to the home ministry seeking her release. Her sister Selima Islam on Saturday urged the government to release Khaleda on humanitarian grounds.

Khaleda is in jail since February 8, 2019, the day when she was sentenced by a special court in Dhaka in a graft case which BNP termed false and fabricated. She was admitted to BSMMU on April 1, 2019 and is undergoing treatment there since then.