Khaleda Zia's week at office

It has been a week since BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was ‘confined’ to her Gulshan office.

She found herself stuck there after announcing an agitation plan to mark the first anniversary of the last general election as ‘Murder of Democracy Day’.

The three-time prime minister has not appeared before the media since. She is reportedly spending her time at her chamber and the attached room.

Law enforcers cordoned off her office on Jan 3. Police vehicles and water cannons have been positioned to block both ends of the street in front of the office.

They barred her from going to the BNP's central office on Jan 3. They locked the main gate two days later when she tried to go out and join her supporters in anti-government agitations.

Police used pepper spray to control leaders of the party’s women front, who had gathered in the office building and shouted slogans.

Police unlocked the office on Thursday but continued to cordon off the building.

BNP Vice Chairperson Selima Rahman, chairperson’s advisor and former IG of police Abdul Qayum, chairperson’s press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan, special aide Shamsur Rahman Shimul Bishwas, Mahbub Al Amin Dew, security co-ordinator retired Colonel Abdul Mazid, Mahila Dal General Secretary Shirin Sultana and a few other former MPs are staying in the office with Khaleda.

In addition, 43 members of the staff and Khaleda’s security personnel are also in the building.

Leaders and officials were using blankets brought for distribution among the poor.

Khaleda’s Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan said, “We are obliged to sleep on chairs. We are also working through this situation.”

He said the BNP chief had been suffering from respiratory problems since Jan 5 when police used pepper spray. "She is using nebuliser prescribed by doctors.”

Khaleda is regularly inquiring about her party's agitations, Khan added.

He said the party chief had to receive phone calls by many people abroad inquiring about her health.

On the seventh day of the police cordon, her breakfast was brought from her son Tarique Rahman’s in-laws house as usual.

Her sister Selima Islam and brother Shamim Eskander’s wife Kaniz Fatema were among the relatives who went to see her.

Several leaders of BNP's women front met the BNP chief on Saturday noon.

A group of retired government officials, led by former cabinet secretary SM Abdul Halim, had a meeting with Khaleda at night.

Halim, also an advisor to the BNP chief, told reporters that they had enquired about her health.

"We thought she felt better than before," he said.