Khaleda’s condition still critical: Dr Zahid

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, now undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capita is still critical.

Dhaka, Nov 21 :  The health condition of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, now undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital with multiple complications, is still critical but it is not true that she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, said her personal physician Dr AZM Zahid Hossain.

He, however, said the BNP chief has been suffering from liver problems alongside kidney and cardiac ones.

“Madam’s condition is the same as before. There’s no noticeable change in her condition. We neither can call it a slight improvement, nor stable. In a word, she is still in a critical condition,” Zahid told UNB.

He said physicians have kept her under intensive monitoring in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of the hospital. “Various parameters of her health are fluctuating and are taking the right measures accordingly.”

Zahid said the BNP chief is very weak physically and she has to spend most of her time lying in bed. “She’s only allowed soft food.”

Syeda Sharmila Rahman Sithi, the wife of Khaleda’s deceased son Arafat Rahman, has been taking care of her at the hospital, he said.

The doctor said it is now imperative for Khaleda to go to any advanced centre abroad for the proper treatment of her multidisciplinary diseases. “All the doctors, including those connected virtually from the USA and the UK, are worried about her condition as they think she needs to go abroad as soon as possible.”

About media reports on Khaleda’s liver cirrhosis problem, Zaid said the news is not correct. “It’s fact that she has been suffering from liver, kidney, diabetes, heart and other complications. But I don't know from where the media got the information that she was diagnosed with cirrhosis.”

Human chain in front of parliament

Six MPs of BNP staged a human chain programme in front of the national parliament on Sunday morning, demanding Khaleda Zia’s treatment in an advanced centre abroad.

The BNP MPs--Harunur Rashid, GM Siraj, Advocate Abdus Sattar, Mosharraf Hossain, Aminul Islam and Rumeen Farhana--formed the human chain standing on the sidewalk of South Plaza outside the parliament complex.

In a brief address, they urged President Abdul Hamid to take steps for sending their party chairperson Khaleda Zia abroad for her treatment.

”Our leader Begum Khaleda is fighting for life in a hospital. The government is ignoring the application of her family. Doctors have suggested taking her to an advanced centre abroad immediately for treatment. Our party has also been repeatedly urging the government to allow our leader to go abroad. But there’s no change in the government attitude,” said GM Siraj.

"I would like to appeal to the President to take steps for the treatment of Begum Khaleda Zia by releasing her exercising your authority as the constitution has given you that power,” he said.

Harunur Rashid called upon the government to immediately take steps for sending Khaleda abroad to save her life.

He also warned that they will think of resigning from parliament if their demand is not met. “Don’t force us to come out of parliament.”

Rumeen Farhana said the government has the full authority to allow Khaleda to go abroad as per section 401 of the Criminal Code of Procedure (CrPC). “The explanation given by the law minister about the section is a complete misinterpretation.”

Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, was readmitted to Evercare Hospital on 13 November, six days after she had returned home from the hospital.

The BNP chief's physicians said she has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, critical cardiac, kidney ophthalmological and dental complications. The hemoglobin level in her blood has also dropped.

On behalf of the family, Khaleda's younger brother, Shamim Iskander, submitted an application to the Home Ministry on 11 November urging the government to allow her to go abroad for better treatment.

Law Minister Anisul Huq, however, recently said the BNP chairperson first has to make a fresh application by going back to jail to go abroad for treatment, reports UNB.