The family met the jailed Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on Friday.
Although, in all previous occasions of meeting her, the family talked to media about what they saw the health condition of Khaleda Zia and their demands, the family kept mum and left the hospital as journalists approached them on their return.
The latest bail petition, Khaleda Zia filed to go abroad for treatment, is scheduled for Sunday to be heard by the High Court.
The bail petition was filed when Khaleda’s family as well as her party continued pushing for her release.
Her brother in the past week submitted an application to the university vice-chancellor requesting him to recommend that the government should send Khaleda abroad for advanced treatment.
Ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul quader in the past week said that BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir phoned him about Khaleda’s release and that they were yet to get any letter from Khaleda or her family about Khaleda’s release on parole.
The family had always been alleging that Khalea was not getting proper treatment at the university and her health condition kept deteriorating.
On Friday, six members of Khaleda’s family — her brother Sayeed Iskander, nephews Shafin Iskander, Avik Iskander and Shahriya Haque, Shafin’s wife Arani Iskander and sister-in-law Kaniz Fatima — met her for about an hour until 4:30pm.
As the family were coming out from the hospital, reporters waiting there approached Sayeed Iskander, who declined to speak and left the hospital.
Earlier on February 11, after meeting Khaleda, her sister Selima Islam said that Khaleda was seriously ill and demanded her release to allow her to take treatment abroad.
Khaleda has been in jail since February 8, 2018, when she was sentenced by a special court in Dhaka in a case which BNP termed false and fabricated.
Khaleda was shifted to the hospital on April 1, 2019. She has been undergoing treatment at the hospital since then.
