BNP leaves Khaleda’s chair empty at Iftar with orphans as she gets chickpeas, puffed rice in jail

The BNP has hosted an Iftar for orphans leaving a chair left empty for Khaleda Zia who had puffed rice with chickpeas to break the Ramadan fast in jail.

Khaleda had her first Iftar with the orphans at the Dhaka Ladies Club in past few years.

On Friday, senior BNP leaders organised the event, with their party chief in jail in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and their acting chief Tarique Rahman in exile in London.

Khaleda, who has been in the old jailhouse on Nazimuddin Road since Feb 8, was served puffed rice, chickpeas, dates, Peanju, juice and some fruits, several sources in the jail confirmed.

The jail authorities did not allow in Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal General Secretary Sultana Ahmed and some other leaders of the BNP’s women affiliate who took some food for Khaleda.

ABM Abdus Sattar, one of Khaleda’s aides, said the jail officials did not permit her family members to meet her either on Friday.

At the Iftar, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir greeted the orphans, teachers of orphanages and others.

“We have organised this Iftar Mahfil with a heavy heart. Our dear leader, three-time prime minister and two-time leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia is not among us today. She is in jail,” Fakhrul said.

“It is painful for all of us that Khaleda Zia, who eats the first Iftar with little boys and girls here every year, is taking her meal alone in a dark jail,” he added.

He also conveyed Ramadan greetings from Tarique.

“He wanted to talk to you but he is offering the Juma prayers now (in London),” Mirza Fakhrul said.

Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, among others, were present at the programme.

Special prayers seeking Khaleda’s freedom and good health and the country’s peace and progress were also held.