Khaleda applies for passport renewal to go aboard: Lawyer

Amid talks about taking her abroad for advanced treatment, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday applied for the renewal of her Machine Readable Passport (MRP).

"Madam's (Khaleda's) passport expired long ago. The form for the renewal of her passport was submitted today (Thursday)," her lawyer advocate Mahbubuddin Khokon told UNB.

Khokon hoped that the new passport will be issued urgently.

However, a party senior leader, wishing anonymity, said the new passport has already been issued and her family received it.

He said Khaleda's passport expired in 2019, but she could not renew it as she was in jail.

The BNP leader said the BNP chief's family and party senior leaders are in touch with the High Commissions and Embassies of different countries, including that of the UK, Singapore, Thailand and the UAE, to have multiple visas as there are restrictions on entry from Bangladesh to different countries due to coronavirus.

He said Thailand and the UAE are the available options for her since those countries have no travel restriction, but her family members are eager to send her either to the UK or Singapore.

On Wednesday night, Khaleda's younger brother Shamim Iskander met Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan at his Dhamanmondi residence and submitted an application seeking permission to send her abroad for advanced treatment.

Law Minister Anisul Haq said the opinion of his ministry on allowing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to go abroad will be sent to the Home Ministry soon.

"Her (Khaleda's) application was brought to me in the evening. Our opinion will be sent to the Home Ministry soon," he said while talking to reporters on Thursday.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday urged the government to allow their party chief Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced treatment on humanitarian ground as she has been suffering from post-Covid complications.

The 76-year-old BNP chief, who tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time on April 24, was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27 for a thorough health checkup.

She was shifted to the CCU of the hospital with shortness of breath around 4pm on Monday. Her breathing problem later eased.

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.

Khaleda Zia tested positive for Covid-19 on April 10 as eight people at her residence were infected with the virus. She underwent the second Covid-19 test on April 24 and her report was positive.

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.