Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia examined constructive for COVID-19 on Sunday, a yr after she was launched from jail quickly amidst the pandemic, in response to media experiences. The 75-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief’s samples had been despatched to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, for testing on Saturday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper quoted Public Relations Officer, Health Ministry, Maidul Islam Prodhan as saying.
“It came back as positive today [Sunday], which has been updated on the database of the Directorate of Health Services, he told Dhaka Tribune. The newspaper reported that one of Zia’s relatives, who had met her last week, had later tested positive for the coronavirus.
“That is why madam’s [Zia] family took steps for her COVID-19 test, though she has no major symptoms,” a supply near the household instructed the Dhaka Tribune. However, BNP leaders failed to verify Zia’s prognosis.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Sayrul Kabir Khan, member of BNP press wing, mentioned, “After talking to Khaleda Zia’s physician Dr Mamun, I came to know that it was a regular health check-up. We have no information about the positive COVID-19 test report.” Zia has served thrice because the premier of Bangladesh since 1991. Her occasion suffered a depressing defeat within the 2018 elections bagging solely six seats within the 300-seat parliament. Her conviction on “moral turpitude” costs de-barred her from contesting the polls.
Zia is serving a 17-year jail time period in two graft instances since February 8, 2018. She was despatched to jail by an area court docket on costs of embezzling international donations meant for an orphanage, named after her slain husband and president Ziaur Rehman, throughout her premiership between 2001 and 2006.
Rehman, a navy ruler-turned-politician, was the founding father of the BNP. She was convicted in one other corruption case later the identical yr, although her occasion claims each instances are politically motivated. In March 2020, Zia was launched from jail for six months given that she would keep at house, amid the coronavirus outbreak. Last month, the Bangladesh authorities prolonged the suspension of the sentence for a second time by six months.
The coronavirus has claimed 9,661 lives, together with 678,937 confirmed instances, in Bangladesh up to now.
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