BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said their party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s condition is completely stable with no symptom of COVID-19 though she has tested positive for the virus.
“Our leader Khaleda Zia has undergone coronavirus test. Her samples were taken to icddr,b yesterday (Saturday). We came to know her report is positive for the virus,” said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
In a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he said she is now receiving treatment under her personal physicians, led by respiratory medicine expert FM Siddiqui.
“She’s stable and fine. She has no visible COVID symptom, including high temperature,” the BNP leader said.
He said her personal physicians will take steps for her further treatment, if necessary.
Fakhrul said Khaleda urged the country’s people to pray for her speedy recovery. “Especially, I urge our party’s leaders and activists at every level to seek divine blessings for our leader’s quick recovery."
He also urged the party leaders and activists to arrange doa mahfil for her in local mosques maintaining health safety rules.
“Her health condition is completely stable and her treatment has already begun. We would like to assure people she’s fine and receiving treatment under her personal physicians who are famous in the country,” Fakhrul added.
Asked whether Khaleda’s domestic help, Fatema, and others who stay in her Gulshan residence underwent the COVID-19 test, he said he has no idea about it. “I only got information about our leader.”
Earlier in the day, Health Ministry’s senior information officer Maidul Islam Prodhan said the BNP chief underwent COVID-19 test on Saturday evening and the results came out to be positive.
A source close to Khaleda’s one of the relatives who met her last week later tested positive for the Coronavirus. “That’s why madam’s (Khaleda’s) family took initiatives for her COVID test, though she has no major symptom.”
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year.
She was released from the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) the same day, and she has been staying at her Gulshan house since then.
On August 27 last year, the government extended her release for six more months and it was extended again for six months on March 15 last.
On February 8, 2018, Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail after a lower court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. The High Court later doubled her jail term.
Khaleda was found guilty in another corruption case the same year. Her party claims both the cases are politically motivated.
