Submit Khaleda’s latest medical report by Feb 26: High Court

The High Court on Sunday directed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) to submit the latest report on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's health by 5pm Wednesday (February 26).

The court ordered the vice-chancellor (VC) of BSMMU to submit the report without fail to the registrar general of the Supreme Court by the given time. 

The bench of Justice Obaidul Hasan and Justice AKM Zahirul Haque issued the order after hearing Khaleda Zia's bail plea in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

The next hearing on her bail plea will be on Thursday.

The High Court has also asked the VC to mention in the report if Khaleda has agreed to avail the "advanced therapy."  

The VC also needs to mention that if she has agreed, whether the medical treatment board has started the treatment and what is the latest update.  

At the same time, the court has also asked the VC to mention if she has any other physical illness, and to give all relevant information and latest updates of the treatment in the report. 

The bail petition was submitted to allow Khaleda to go abroad for better treatment. Khaleda will go abroad for treatment if she gets bail this time, her lawyers said.

Advocate Zainul Abedin stood for Khaleda, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state while Advocate Md Khurshid Alam Khan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission. 

During the bail hearing, Advocate Zainul Abedin told the court that Khaleda's health had deteriorated since December 21 last year. 

"She cannot move by herself, and her treatment is not possible in the hospital where she is being treated now. So, she needs to be taken to the United Kingdom for better treatment," he said.  

He urged the court to grant bail to Khaleda in consideration of her health and on humanitarian grounds. 

Opposing the bail plea, the attorney general said Khaleda had appealed for bail on the same grounds last December, and the plea was rejected. 

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said, "Later, they went to the Appellate Division. The Division sought her latest medical report. And the BSMMU submitted the health report following the court order."

According to the health report, Khaleda did not agree to take medical treatment based on the medical board recommendation, he added.  

She is getting treatment in the country and there is no need to take her abroad, said the attorney general. 

On February 19, the court set Sunday February 23 as the hearing date for Khaleda's bail plea. Earlier, the bail plea was filed for the second time at the high court on February 18. 

The plea mentioned that Khaleda needs "advanced treatment" and so she should be taken to a country like the UK for it. 

Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been in prison since February 8, 2018, serving a 17-year jail sentence after being convicted in the Zia Orphanage and the Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases.

However, she applied for bail over the Zia Charitable Trust case in July last year, but the High Court rejected the plea. 

Later, she applied to the Appellate Division, but that court also rejected her plea and also directed the BSMMU to give her advanced treatment.   

She was later shifted to the BSMMU from jail in 2019 for treatment under the supervision of the jail authorities.