US ‘monitoring’ reports on Khaleda's deteriorating health: State Department

The United States is monitoring reports about the health of ailing BNP chief Khaleda Zia, according to a State Department official.

Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesperson, addressed the issue during a press conference in Washington on Thursday, reports bdnews24.com.

Khaleda, a former prime minister, is currently hospitalised in Dhaka after suffering from a range of health issues, including liver complications, kidney problems, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis, for a long time.

Khaleda's family and the BNP have repeatedly called for her to be allowed to travel overseas for treatment, a demand that the government has rejected citing her imprisonment in graft cases.

Asked whether the US will call on the Bangladesh government to allow Khaleda to seek treatment abroad, Miller said, "I will say that we are monitoring reports about former prime minister Zia’s deteriorating health.

"We have encouraged the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for her. And I don’t have anything to add to -- an internal legal process.”

The 78-year-old BNP chief was admitted to Dhaka's Evercare Hospital on August 9. As she is not allowed to travel abroad, three specialist doctors from the United States were called in to oversee her treatment.

Khaleda, jailed for 17 years in connection with two graft cases, was released from prison through an executive order on March 25, 2020 that allowed her to stay at home, but barred her from travelling abroad.

The government says that, according to the law, she has to return to prison before she can petition to travel abroad.