Relatives meet Khaleda as she spends another Eid in jail

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia has spent another Eid in jail despite her party's expectationsthat she will be released before the festival.

Wednesday’s is the fourth Eid Khaleda spent in jail in the four decades of her political career, and the second after the BNP chief was jailed for corruption in Zia Orphanage Trust.

She has been the lone prisoner at the old jailhouse on Nazimuddin Road in Dhaka since Feb 8. Her house help Fatema Begum is also with her in the jail on special permission.

Khaleda is accused in 34 cases related to charges like corruption, instigating deadly protests, distortion of history, derogatory remarks on Bangabandhu, and celebrating fake birthday to belittle the Father of the Nation.

She has received bail in 31 cases, including the orphanage trust graft case, but is still in jail as she is yet to secure bail in the three other cases.

The jail authorities served her milk-vermicelli, Zarda and sweets for breakfast on Eid-ul-Azha as a first class inmate, several prison officials told bdnews24.com.

The lunch menu was of her choice.

Some of her relatives met her in the jail in the afternoon, but the authorities did not allow them to take food for her.  

A total of 20 relatives and staffers at Khaleda’s Gulshan home reached the jail on four vehicles just before 2:30pm.

The authorities allowed Khaleda’s sister Selina Islam, Selina’s husband Rafiqul Islam; late brother Sayeed Eskander’s wife Nasrin Eskander; son Tarique Rahman’s sister-in-law Shahina Zaman Bindu; late son Arafat Rahman Coco’s wife Sharmila Rahman and daughter Zahia Rahman to meet the BNP chief.

They said wearing a cotton saree, Khaleda came to the visiting room, aided by two prison officials.

She hugged Coco’s daughter and exchanged Eid greetings with the others, they said.

Earlier in the day, police turned away BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan and other leaders approaching the jail.

The law enforcers said the BNP leaders did not have permission to meet their chief.

Khaleda had earlier spent two Eids in a special jail set up at a building in the parliament compound when she was arrested during the 2007-08 military-controlled caretaker government. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was also kept in another building in the same area at the time.

Khaleda has been leading the BNP since the assassination of her husband and president Ziaur Rahman in 1981. She was elected prime minister and leader of the opposition in around four decades of her political career.