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Published : 04 Dec 2025, 01:44 PM
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will organise nationwide prayers in mosques and services in other places of worship on Friday for the speedy recovery of party chief and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
Announcing the programme at a media briefing at the party's central office in Naya Paltan on Thursday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said: "We will have prayer gatherings in every mosque, and prayer services in temples and places of worship of other religious communities, for the immediate good health of Begum Khaleda Zia. Special prayer services will be held in every mosque."
Among the leaders present at the briefing were Mahdi Amin, an advisor to BNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman; Aminul Haque, convener of the Dhaka Metropolitan BNP North; Jubo Dal President M Monayem Munna and Jubo Dal General Secretary Nurul Islam Nayon, among others.
The interim government has also called for prayers in all mosques across the country after Jummah prayers on Friday for the speedy recovery of the BNP chairperson.
Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital on Nov 23 and was diagnosed with a lung infection. She was moved to the Critical Care Unit after her condition deteriorated.
A media statement from the Chief Advisor's Office (CAO) also called for prayer services to be held in accordance with the customs and rituals of the respective faiths at places of worship for other religions, including temples, churches, and pagodas.
At the same time, people from all walks of life across the country were requested to offer prayers and well-wishes for the 79-year-old former prime minister’s recovery.
Khaleda has been suffering for a long time from several complications, such as kidney, liver, lung, heart, and eye problems, in addition to arthritis and diabetes.
The interim government declared Khaleda a Very Very Important Person (VVIP) on Tuesday. This arrangement ensures the former premier's security is entrusted to the Special Security Force (SSF).
Following this development, SSF and Presidential Guard Regiment (PGR) members took charge of the security of the Evercare Hospital area on Tuesday.
Along with the chiefs of the three armed forces, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman visited Khaleda at Evercare on Tuesday. Following him, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus went there on Wednesday night.
A 12-strong medical board from Evercare Hospital, led by Dr Shahabuddin Talukdar, is overseeing Khaleda’s treatment. Additionally, several specialists from China and the United Kingdom have arrived to provide medical assistance.
Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, the BNP chairperson's personal physician, said: "Specialist doctors from Johns Hopkins University in the United States and The London Clinic in the United Kingdom are also virtually connected with the medical board for Khaleda Zia."
