Dhaka: BNP on Monday voiced concern over the health condition of its jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia as she has been suffering from various diseases and demanded the government immediately ensure her proper treatment.

‘Our chairperson’s physicians have said she has long been suffering from various ailments, including respiratory, eye, knee and heart problems and high-blood pressure. Though her specialised doctors repeatedly went to the jail gate, the authorities didn’t allow them to visit her,’ said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he further said, ‘We don’t know under which condition she (Khaleda) has been there in jail. We’re deeply concerned over her illness. We strongly demand the government ensure her proper treatment.’

The BNP leader also demanded the government immediately release her from jail. ‘A three-time Prime Minister, two-time Opposition Leader and elderly and sick politician like Khaleda Zia is being tortured keeping her in jail. We think it is the utter violation of human rights.’

He alleged that the authorities concerned are willingly buying time to send the lower courts documents to the High Court regarding the verdict against Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case only to prolong her stay in jail.

Rizvi strongly protested and condemned the arrest of Swechchhasebak Dal president Shafiul Bari Babu from BNP’s human chain programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club today.

He alleged that law enforcers and ruling party men attacked their party leaders and followers, and foiled their scheduled human chain programme at different parts of the country, including Thakurgaon, Jessore and Kushtia.

Rizvi said an Indian web portal ran a false and fabricated report quoting a fake Facebook status of their party acting chairman Tarique Rahman with an ulterior motive. ‘We’ve long been saying Tarique Rahman has no Facebook and Twitter accounts.’

He said their party’s sit-in programme scheduled for Thursday will be held in front of the Jatiya Press Club from 11am to 12 noon instead of the party’s Nayapaltan central office.