The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended suspension of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s jail sentence by another six months following previous two conditions.

A gazette notification will be issued tomorrow (Monday) in this regard, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at a press conference at the Secretariat in the capital on Sunday.

Earlier, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Haque gave his consent on the extension of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s jail sentence suspension by another six months keeping the previous two conditions–Khaleda Zia will receive treatment from her residence in Dhaka and this time she will not be able to go abroad.

A few days ago, Khaleda Zia’s younger brother Shamim Iskander appealed to the Home Minister for unconditional release and permission to go abroad for better treatment.

On March 25, 2020, the government first suspended BNP chief’s jail term for a period of six months in exercise of its executive authority amid Covid-19 pandemic.

Later, the government extended such suspension of the sentence of Khaleda Zia on various occasions.

Aged 76, the former prime minister was convicted of two graft cases for her alleged involvement in irregularities in collecting and spending funds of Zia orphanage and Zia charitable trust cases.

A Dhaka court, on February 8, 2018, sentenced her to imprisonment for five years in Zia orphanage trust graft case. On the day, she landed in jail and remained there until her release following suspension of sentence.

Khaleda Zia has been staying at her Gulshan residence since her release from jail upon executive order of the government.

Although she is receiving treatment at home and a private hospital in Dhaka, her family members want to send her abroad for better treatment.

But law minister Anisul Huq said the government has no authority to allow convict Khaleda Zia to go abroad for treatment.