The prison authorities of old Dhaka Central jail has shifted BNP chief Khaleda Zia to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for her treatment.
The BNP chairperson was escorted out of the prison on Nazimuddin Road in Old Dhaka around 3:10pm on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.
She was taken to the hospital in Shahbag from the prison in Old Dhaka under heavy security.
Two cabin rooms have been prepared for the 73-year-old former prime minister. Her personal belongings were brought to the hospital beforehand.
A police car brought the BNP chief out of the prison. The convoy also included police and RAB vehicles and an ambulance.
Journalists had gathered at the prison since Saturday morning, but no additional law enforcement had been seen in the area.
But law enforcers began to arrive at the scene as the day wore on.
A fire service truck was parked before the gates to the prison. RAB patrol vehicles were also seen in the area. Traffic was slowly brought to a halt.
Khaleda was the only inmate at the prison on Nazimuddin Road.
She has been there since February 8, when she was sentenced to five years in jail over the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Khaleda had earlier been taken to BSMMU in April for medical tests.
The BNP has repeatedly called for the party chief to be transferred to United Hospital for treatment, but the government has proposed that she be taken to BSMMU.
The BNP had not accepted the proposal and prison authorities indicated that Khaleda had also objected.
In an order on Thursday, the High Court instructed that Khaleda be admitted to BSMMU. Khaleda’s lawyer and BNP Joint Secretary General Mahbub Uddin Khokon had agreed to the decision.
Khaleda’s medical treatment has been a matter of discussion in political circles for some time. The BNP claims that the government did not provide her with proper treatment.