Khaleda has been out of jail on bail due to the Covid-19 pandemic and her failing health conditions
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Wednesday said that the decision of releasing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia by suspending her sentence would be taken after discussions with the Law Ministry.
He added that the Law Ministry would now be asked for its opinion on the application for a further extension of the release period.
The home minister was speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Wednesday.
Responding to a question, Asaduzzaman Khan said: “We have received a letter from Khaleda Zia on behalf of her family. Now I will send this letter to the Law Ministry for examination.”
Khaleda Zia’s younger brother Shamim Iskandar submitted the application to the ministry on Tuesday, according to the home ministry.
In the application, the family said that they could not arrange better treatment for Khaleda Zia during the Covid-19 pandemic and requested a relaxation of her bail conditions and a waiving of the sentence imposed on her, said the home minister.
“We have sent the application to the Law Ministry for further scrutiny. Once we get a response, we will take a decision after necessary discussions,” he said.
In reply to another question, the home minister said: “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is the mother of humanity. We hope she will take it positively. ”
The premier arranged for Khaleda’s stay at home, with conditions attached, to ensure proper treatment for her, said the minister.
Asked about the family’s request to send Khaleda abroad, he said that the request had always been there.
“She [Khaleda Zia] is still serving a jail term, although she is staying at home,” he said.
The former prime minister was treated by specialists at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital (BSMMU) when she was in jail, said the minister.
On March 25 last year, Khaleda Zia was first released on parole for six months by an executive order of the government. Her release was later extended by another six months last September.
While on release, Khaleda Zia continued to receive treatment at her residence. At the time, she was released on the condition that she could not go out of the country.
Khaleda Zia’s sentence was suspended under Section 401 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Now that the release period is set to end on March 25, her family applied on Tuesday to the Home Ministry for an extension of the stay.
Our correspondent Nawaz Farhin Antara contributed to this report
