Hasina to be brought to hospital today for check-up

Detained Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina would be brought back to Square Hospitals for eye check-up today, a senior prison official yesterday said.
Earlier, the former prime minister had been admitted to the hospital from March 11 to March 30. Sources said she was being brought back there amid widespread criticism of the authorities in the last couple of days following her allegation Sunday that she was forcibly taken back to the subjail halfway through her treatment.
The jail authorities, however, said they are taking the AL chief back to hospital according to the recommendations of the Square Hospitals.
"As she is required to go through follow-up eye check-up, she would be taken to the hospital tomorrow according to the recommendation of the hospital", Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told The Daily Star last night.
On whether Hasina would be hospitalised this time too, the prison deputy said, "She's physically quite OK. Her physical condition does not require her to get hospitalised."
Hasina would be whisked to the subjail at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex following the check-up.
Meantime, the Awami League yesterday threatened to go for tougher agitation programmes across the country if the government does not release her unconditionally and send her to the US for better treatment.
Hasina, who has been behind bars for corruption allegations since July 16 last year, told the trial court Sunday that the jail authorities have been denying her fundamental human rights and produced her before court from hospital by force.
Inspector General (Prisons) Brig Gen Zakir Hassan, however, denied the news reports on the allegations Monday saying that they cannot force a person like Sheikh Hasina, a former prime minister, to appear before court.
"We took her to the court after the Square Hospitals told us that her physical condition was fine at the time," he said.
AL'S HUNGER STRIKE
Meantime, acting AL President Zillur Rahman yesterday said people's patience is wearing thin day by day as the government is not responding to the call for Hasina's release as she needs treatment abroad.
The veteran leader was speaking at a hunger strike programme organised by Awami Swechchhasebak League at the party's central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in the city.
Awami Jubo League would hold the same programme at the same venue today to press home their demand for Hasina's release.
Zillur said the time is not far away when people would take to the streets to get Hasina released, adding that the AL chief has been kept behind bars without any good grounds for ten months.
He called on the government to halt Hasina's trial and send her to the US for treatment.