Turning prime minister away from Khaleda’s office gate was discourteous: Adviser

Turning away Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from the gate of Khaleda Zia’s office was ‘discourteous’, her Media Affairs Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said.

Hasina went to BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office to offer her sympathies at the death of her son but failed to enter the office as the gate was locked from inside.

Chowdhury, who accompanied the prime minister, told reporters in front of the office, “She came here as the prime minister, a leader and as a mother to console a mother who had lost her son.

"She waited in front of the gate for sometime. But the gate was not opened,” he said.

“It's (behaviour of BNP) discourteous, lacking political etiquette..."

Earlier, Khaleda's Special Aide Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas told reporters that the doctors had sedated the BNP chief and that Khaleda will not be able to meet the prime minister.

He thanked the prime minister for her eagerness to meet Khaleda but said it was not possible at that moment.

Chowdhury said BNP leaders could ‘show some etiquette’ by speaking to Hasina. “But they didn’t do that either.”

Asked whether the BNP office had been informed beforehand about the prime minister’s arrival, he said, “If the prime minister comes in front of your house, it is not important whether her arrival was communicated earlier or not.”

He said Hasina broke all protocol to console Khaleda. “She even got off the car but had to return.”

Besides relatives of Khaleda Zia, many leaders of the BNP-led alliance visited her until evening since the news of the death of her youngest son Arafat Rahman Coco arrived in the afternoon.

When Shimul Biswas informed the reporters that Khaleda would not meet the prime minister, supporters of the party inside the office clapped and greeted the decision.

Two cars of personal security staff of Khaleda, blocking the entrance from inside the office and outside for the last few days, were not moved even after the news of the prime minister coming to visit the BNP chief got out.

Hasina's motorcade arrived in front of the Gulshan office around 8:35pm, bdnew24.com's Chief Political Correspondent Sumon Mahmud and Prime Minister Office's Correspondent Reazul Bashar reported from the scene.

The prime minister, flanked with senior party leaders Tofail Ahmed and Amir Hossain Amu, waited in front of the main gate for eight minutes before they returned.

The bdnews24.com correspondents said Tofail and Amu were the first to get out of their cars and walk up to the main mate. They spoke to Khaleda's Special Assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas.

The ministers were told that Khaleda was sedated as she was feeling unwell and no one was allowed to see her.

Briefed on the situation by her Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil, the prime minister got out of her car and walked to the main gate.

Special Security Forces (SSF) personnel then knocked on the gate for a while. At 8:43pm, the prime minister returned to her car and started for her Ganabhaban residence.