Photo: Collected
Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal has postponed its planned gathering of freedom fighters, initially scheduled for Saturday, due to the illness of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the announcement while speaking at a press conference at the party chairperson's Gulshan office on Thursday.
He said Khaleda has been unwell since the night of December 17, prompting the decision to postpone the event on the advice of her doctors. The rally, planned by Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, was set to take place on Saturday at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Agargaon.
Meanwhile, BNP Chairperson's personal physician Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said Khaleda is receiving treatment under the close supervision of doctors at her Gulshan residence.
He said their plan to send the BNP chief abroad for advanced treatment has now been deferred also because of her illness. Khaleda was initially scheduled to travel to London and then to the United States at the end of this month for her advanced medical care.
At the same time, she was also scheduled to perform the holy Umrah in Saudi Arabia. Earlier, on December 15, Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal President Syed Ishtiaque Aziz Ulfat announced that a gathering of freedom fighters would be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Saturday (Dec 21).
Khaleda Zia was supposed to attend there as the chief guest, marking her first appearance in a political programme in nearly seven years.
On February 4, 2018, Khaleda Zia presided over an extended meeting of the BNP at a hotel in Dhaka. This was her last political programme, as just three days later, on February 8, she was sentenced to prison in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Earlier, on November 21, Khaleda Zia attended the Armed Forces Day reception at Senakunja, marking her first public appearance and participation in a state function in six years, since her imprisonment in February 2018.
Khaleda Zia has been battling a range of serious health issues, including liver cirrhosis, as well as complications with her heart, lungs, kidneys and eyes.
Messenger/JRTarek
