Noted journalist Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey met BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence on Saturday night.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Ansarey said, "I used to work with Begum Khaleda Zia when she was Prime Minister, serving as her APS. I came to personally greet her and found her spirits to be quite strong,” he said.
He said Khaleda’s compassion and love for the people were evident in their discussions during the meeting after nearly a decade.
Ansarey expressed hope that the BNP chief would recover soon with divine blessings as the people of Bangladesh pray for her.
He mentioned that Khaleda Zia has many friends and well-wishers abroad, including US congressmen and senators who regularly inquire about her health. “As I learned about her current condition today, it will help me inform them,” he said.
Regarding Khaleda's physical health, Ansarey noted that she appeared mentally strong. “She told me that many people have suffered greatly, facing hardships and even enforced disappearances during the Awami League government.”
Mushfiq, a fervent advocate for press freedom and renowned for his fearless journalism, returned to Bangladesh from the US on September 12.
Currently based in Washington, DC, Ansarey continues his work as the White House and United Nations correspondent for JustNewsBD.
He also serves as Executive Director of the human rights organisation Right to Freedom and Executive Editor of South Asia Perspectives, a foreign policy magazine.
Through his work, Ansarey has consistently highlighted alleged human rights abuses, election fraud, and authoritarian governance in Bangladesh.
