BNP MPs urge Hasina to meet Khaleda, set her free

Four more BNP legislators have met party chief Khaleda Zia and urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to meet and take steps for her release from incarceration.

On Tuesday, three BNP MPs met Khaleda at the BSMMU hospital and said she is ready to travel abroad for advanced medical treatment if she gets bail.

The rest of the seven BNP lawmakers met her on Wednesday and sought her arch rival Hasina’s intervention for her release politically as they believe she is a political prisoner.

They are Gulam Mohammad Siraj, Md Zahidur Rahman, Md Mosharof Hosen and Rumeen Farhana.

“We, the seven MPs, would like to ask the honourable leader of the house and prime minister to come and see for herself (Khaleda's condition),” Siraj said after the meeting the BNP supremo for about an hour.

“I am sure, we are sure that if you (Hasina) come and see our three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia, you’ll sympathise with her,” he said.

“...Please take steps to arrange bail for our leader. Please stop taking advice from bureaucrats and release our leader to show political foresightedness,” the BNP MP added.

The BNP has been alleging that the government pulled the strings to see Khaleda being denied bail.

The ruling Awami League has denied the allegation saying it was a court matter. 

Its General Secretary Obaidul Quader, in reaction to the BNP MP Md Harunur Rashid’s comment that Khaleda is ready to go abroad if she gets bail, said on Wednesday that the government has no animosity towards Khaleda, but he sees many “ifs” about her chance of getting bail.

Siraj, in response to Quader’s comments, said: “Will Khaleda Zia be freed without a political decision? Our Supreme Court, High Court feel embarrassed on the matter of her bail.”

“Our leader is a political prisoner. We believe a political decision is needed for her freedom,” he added.

Rumeen Farhana said Khaleda does not want freedom on parole.