BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is being denied treatment abroad through misinterpretation of the law, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir  on Tuesday (3 October).

Alleging that Sheikh Hasina received treatment abroad as an accused during the 1/11 caretaker government, he said, "They [the AL government] are misinterpreting the law regarding Khaleda Zia."

Speaking at a press conference at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office in Dhaka, he said, "If anything happens to Khaleda Zia, the government will have to take all responsibility. There is no opportunity for the government to deprive Khaleda Zia of treatment abroad using the law. The outcome will not be good if she is not given permission."

When asked whether BNP will participate in the next election in return for any agreement with the government, Fakhrul said, "The BNP will not go to any election with Hasina in power; there is no question of any kind of condition or compromise."

He said they would continue their movement democratically, "even in the face of obstructions from the government."

Earlier on Sunday, Law Minister Anisul Haq told journalists that Khaleda Zia will have to go back to jail and then apply again to the court if she wishes to seek medical treatment abroad.

On Monday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said there is no scope of changing the decision about sending Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment after the law ministry's statement.

"As there are legal complications in this regard, I sent the letter to the law ministry to know their opinion…The law ministry informed us that it is not possible. I don't think there's anything else we can do now," he said while replying to questions from journalists at the secretariat.