Dhaka: BNP senior leaders failed to meet their chairperson Khaleda Zia at the Old Dhaka Central Jail in the capital on the Eid day on Wednesday.

Senior BNP leaders, including standing committee members and vice chairmen, along with nearly two hundred party leaders and activists headed for the jail gate around 12 pm to meet Khaleda.

Police, however, obstructed them from nearly half a kilometre away from the jail gate.

They showed their Home Ministry’s permission to meet Khaleda but police said that they were not aware of that.

Talking to reporters after being obstructed, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said after having permission they could not meet her and he termed it as ‘unfortunate’.

 ‘As per rules, prisoners can receive visitors on Eid day, but police are not allowing us to meet our beloved leader. It’s very painful,’ he said.

At least 13 senior leaders went to meet Khaled at jail, including BNP standing committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam and Abdul Awal Mintoo.

Mosharraf said they tried to go to the jail to meet the BNP chief, but police obstructed them from going to the jail gate. ‘Police could have taken us to the jail authorities. Blocking us is not their duty.’

Mirza Abbas said usually prisoners are allowed to meet their near and dear ones and friends on the Eid day. ‘I suffered jail terms several times, but I never saw such inhuman attitude in the past.’

After waiting for half an hour, the BNP leaders left the place failing to meet her.

Meanwhile, leaders and activists of the party chanted various slogans, demanding the immediate release of their chairperson from the jail.

Earlier in the day, Mirza Fakhrul along with BNP leaders and activists went to its founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and offered fateha there.

On February 8, Khaleda Zia was sent to jail after a special court sentenced her to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.