Dhaka: BNP will stage demonstrations across the country, including the capital, on Friday demanding the release of its chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail and better treatment of her.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programme at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

He said their programme is also meant for registering the party’s protest against the government’s inhuman attitude towards Khaleda by keeping her in jail without treatment.

Fakhrul said the programme will be held at all district towns and upazila headquarters on Friday.

Besides, he said, they will stage a demonstration in front of their Nayapaltan central office around 3pm the same day.

‘We hope the authorities concerned will take necessary steps in this regard, and allow us to exercise our democratic rights,’ the BNP leader added.

He said Khaleda’s health condition is deteriorating gradually, but the government is not allowing her to receive treatment at a specialised hospital of her choice.

‘Our leader (Khaleda) has been suffering from fever for the last few days. Her relatives could not meet her yesterday (Saturday) as the pain in her knees aggravated...we again call upon the government to release her and ensure her better treatment,’ Fakhrul said.

He alleged that the government wants to remove Khaleda Zia from politics through its ‘vindictive and barbaric’ attitude towards her. ‘A 73-yer-old person has been deprived of treatment. Sheikh Hasina and her government will have to take the responsibility if anything bad happens to her,’ he warned.

On February 8 last, a special court here convicted Khaleda and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Fakhrul said though the Prime Minister is unilaterally carrying out election campaign, her government is not giving BNP any political space and allowing it to arrange political programmes.