BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia needs treatment at any advanced hospital abroad as she is at health risk due to her acute heart and kidney problems, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday.

“There are some fundamental issues over her illness that are alarming.  She has acute heart and kidney problems. The medical board is concerned about these problems,” he said.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said it seems the hospitals and advanced centres in Bangladesh are not enough for her treatment.

“Experts have repeatedly been saying that she (Khaleda) needs advanced treatment and it is now important to send her to any advanced centre for proper treatment of her illnesses. We’ve also been talking about it repeatedly,” he said.

Replying to a question whether Khaleda Zia will go to court for bail under the current condition of her health, the BNP leader apparently answered in the negative, “I replied to such a question in the past.  Unfortunately, we suffered the biggest loss in the court over the legal and political matters.”

Fakhrul said it is the court that annulled the caretaker government system. “It’s the court that also has done serious injustice to Khaleda Zia. She can’t be convicted by any law in any way.”

He said they will have to take a decision on moving court very carefully since they are not confident about getting justice.

The 76-year-old BNP chief, who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 11, was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27.

On April 28, a 10-member medical board, headed by Prof Shahabuddin Talukder, was formed for the treatment of Khaleda at the Evercare Hospital a day after her admission there.

She tested negative for Covid-19 on May 8, 27 days after she had been infected with the deadly virus, but the BNP chief is still suffering from various complications.

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.