No need to take Khaleda abroad: Dr Shamsuzzaman

Dr Md Shamsuzzaman, the chief of the medical board formed to oversee the care of Khaleda Zia, says the BNP chief’s health does not need to be sent abroad for treatment.

“There is no reason to take her abroad at the moment,” he told bdnews24.com on Sunday.

The board would make further decisions after it received the opinions of the team of three doctors who gave Khaleda Zia medical tests at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on Saturday.

BSMMU Director Brig Gen Abdullah-Al-Harun said that the report regarding Khaleda Zia’s medical tests had been sent to the prison authorities.

Khaleda Zia has been in prison since being sentenced to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on Feb 8.

A medical board was formed by the Dhaka Medical College Hospital administration due to Khaleda Zia’s recent health issues. On Apr 1 the board examined Khaleda and declared that none of her illnesses were ‘serious’.

But BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited the BNP chief on Friday and claimed that she was not well.

The BNP has claimed that the medical board is simply a matter of ‘show’ and demanded that Khaleda be treated by her personal doctors.

On Saturday Khaleda was brought from prison to BSMMU for tests overseen by three doctors she had ‘handpicked’ – heart specialist Dr Mohammad Mamun, medicine specialist Dr FM Siddiqui and neuro medicine specialist Dr Wahidur Rahman.

Khaleda underwent X-rays and stayed at the hospital for two hours before she was escorted back to prison.

The medical test reports were sent to the prison authorities around 12:45 pm on Sunday, BSMMU Director Brig Gen Abdullah-Al-Mamun told the media.

“I cannot tell you,” he said when asked about the results. “We sealed the reports before sending them to the prison authorities. They will send the reports to the special medical board formed for Khaleda Zia. The medical board will decide on treatments according to the report.”