Sheikh Hasina going abroad for treatment!!

Hasina willing to go abroad for treatment: prisons official

Dhaka, Jan 2 (bdnews24.com) – Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is willing to go abroad for medical treatment, a top prisons official said Wednesday night.

Inspector general (prisons) brigadier general Md Zakir Hassan told bdnews24.com that he had discussed the issue of treatment with Hasina when he visited her in special jail Monday night.

But the Jail Code does not allow authorities to send any accused person abroad for medical treatment, Hassan said.

The prisons official quoted Hasina as saying that she had earlier travelled abroad for treatment and wanted to do so this time too.

Barrister Fazle Noor Tapash, a lawyer for Hasina, told bdnews24.com that he was not aware of Hasina's wish to go abroad for treatment.

"We last met her on Dec 31. Nothing was discussed at the time. Everything depends on the government. Everything depends on what the government really wants," he said.

Earlier in the day, law adviser Mainul Hosein said the government would consider sending Hasina and another former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, abroad for better treatment if it were approached by their parties.

"If there are such (formal) proposals, legal aspects would be examined on the matter," Mainul told reporters in his Bangladesh Secretariat office.

"But we are yet to get any such proposal," he said.

Acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman Tuesday demanded that the caretaker administration send the detained party chief abroad for better treatment.

The adviser said there were options, including release on parole. He would not elaborate.

Deputy inspector general (prisons) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said authorities would form a medical board for Hasina, if necessary.

Concern over the health of Hasina emerged after she had left the proceedings of an extortion case against her in court on Monday, feeling ill. She was not taken to court from special jail for a further hearing Tuesday.