Treatment Abroad: Khaleda’s plea sent to PMO
The Prime Minister's Office is to decide the fate of an application seeking the extension of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's jail sentence suspension and permission for her to have treatment abroad.
Law Minister Anisul Huq told The Daily Star, "An application has recently been submitted to the home ministry for extending the suspension of Khaleda Zia's jail sentence and permission for her going abroad for treatment. The home ministry forwarded the application to the law ministry for my opinion. I have given my opinion on the application and sent it back to the home ministry today [yesterday].
"Now, the home ministry will send the file to the Prime Minister's Office for approval. After getting the decision from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the home ministry will take necessary measures."
He, however, refused to disclose the opinion he has given on the application. "I will not disclose my opinion now. Wait until the honourable prime minister's approval."
Replying to a query, he said the application was submitted on behalf of Khaleda for further extension of suspension of her jail sentence saying that her physical condition has worsened and therefore she needs to go abroad for treatment.
The application is similar to the previous application on which the government has suspended her jail sentence for a few times under section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the law minister said.
On March 25 last year, the government released the BNP chief after suspending her jail sentence as per section 401 (1) of the Criminal Code of Procedure (CrPC).
Later, the suspension of her jail sentence was extended twice and the government issued separate notifications to this effect. The notification said Khaleda will receive treatment at her home and she cannot go abroad during this period.
Khaleda landed in jail on February 8, 2017, after being sentenced to five years' imprisonment by a special court in Dhaka in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. On October 30 the following year, the High Court enhanced her punishment to 10 years after dismissing her appeal in the case.
The former prime minister was convicted by another special court in Dhaka in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case on October 29, 2018. She was sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment by the court.
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