Khaleda collects effects from cantt house

Trucks with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's belongings exit Dhaka Cantonment through Jahangir Gate yesterday.Photo: STAR

Representatives of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday started collecting her possessions from the Dhaka cantonment house she lost in a legal battle. It might take another day to remove all her belongings from there.
Her personal secretary and two sisters-in-law received furniture and other household items of the former prime minister in presence of officials of cantonment board, military intelligence agencies and police.
Most her belongings were taken to the Baridhara house of BNP leader and DCC councillor Abdul Qaiyum and others to the residence of her brother Sayeed Eskander in Baridhara and the house of Tarique Rahman's father-in-law in Dhanmondi, party leaders said.
Khaleda's counsel Nasiruddin Asim said the authorities did not allow any of the BNP chief's lawyers to be present during the handover of the items to her representatives.
A group of lawyers including Asim, Mahbubuddin Khokan and Mehnaz Mannan went to Jahangir gate early in the morning. But military police barred them from entering the cantonment.
The BNP chief's lawyers and party leaders said the removal of her belongings from the cantonment house started at about 10:20am. Most items were shifted to Qaiyum's Baridhara house by a covered and a pick-up van by 2:00pm.
Two more covered vans with her belongings departed from the house for Qaiyum's at 2:30pm and at 4:45pm while another left for Sayeed Eskander's Baridhara residence shortly after 6:00pm.
A microbus carrying Khaleda's effects was unloaded at Shamim Eskander's house where she is staying now.
Party leader Amanullah Aman received the opposition leader's belongings on her behalf at Qaiyum's house.
Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, personal assistant of the BNP chairperson, said only Khaleda's two sisters-in-law and personal secretary were allowed to enter the house after army personnel had packed her effects.
Wives of Sayeed and Shamim Eskander went there to collect Khaleda's belongings at about 10:20am. The army personnel there asked them to wait in another room, he said.
The opposition leader moved out of the house on November 13 leaving behind her belongings.
The cantonment board gave her 72 hours from yesterday to take away her possessions from the house, said Asim.
He claimed Khaleda's representatives wanted to collect her belongings on Thursday. But the cantonment board did not allow them to do so, rather moved some of the items elsewhere.
Sources in the army said it sent her a message on Wednesday to take her possessions from the house right after receiving a copy of the judgment on the cantonment house.
Khaleda lost the legal battle for the house at the Supreme Court on November 29. She had been residing in the house since 1972.