BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who was landed in jail after the verdict of Zia Charitable Trust graft case, has not yet been shifted to the female ward room of the old jail.
According to the jail sources, she was kept in the room of the jailer till 7:30pm on Thursday along with her house help Fatema, who is accompanying the former Prime Minister.
Although the authority is planning to shift the BNP chief to the female ward room, it's learnt that she would not be transferred to the ward as the room is not suitable for her use.
It's apprehended that in this situation, the authority can transfer her to a suitable house declaring it as a
sub-jail like the caretaker government's tenure. She could also be transferred to the jail ward of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University as BNP submitted its application for shifting her to the ward.
However, no one of the jail authority or the Home Ministry agreed to comment on the issue.
According to the jail sources, Khaleda Zia and her house help Fatema were taken to the jailer's room directly from the special court of the Bakshibazar Alia Madrasa ground. Deputy Jailer Ashraf Hossain received her there and took her to the jailer's room.
Later, the jail physicians Dr Ahsan Habib and Dr Biplab checked up her physical condition.
They have found the pulse and pressure of the former opposition leader to the parliament as normal. After the check up, the jail authority supplied them papaya and orange juice and various fruits. Khaleda Zia drank the papaya juice immediately.
The jail sources also said that they have kept plain rice, dal, vegetable and fish in the former Prime Minister's dinner menu. According to sources, although the women ward was renovated before sending the BNP chief to the jail, the room was not yet made suitable for her use. She wanted to shift her accommodation facilities to other place. The jail authority is looking into that request and transfer her somewhere else.
Sources said that the authority has allocated a makeshift bed, a dressing table, a dining table, a pair of sofas, a TV with cable connection, air conditioner and fan with electricity connection. There is also a kitchen and a convenient balcony in front of the women ward room.
It's also learnt that a beauty parlour is also available there. In case of necessity, she will be able to use the parlour for her regular makeover.
Meanwhile it was learnt that Khaleda Zia will be spending her first night at the abandoned red building of the old Central Jail.
Khaleda had written to the jail authorities so that she can keep her personal aide Fatema with her in jail, which was granted.
A high Jail official told The Daily Observer that Khaleda Zia took dinner with rich and fish after entering the old Central Jail.
Amidst heightened security measures, the former prime minister was taken to the 228-year old, now abandoned, Dhaka Central Jail in Nazimuddin Road around 3:00pm.
Officials in the jail said the authorities have allocated two rooms on the ground-floor of a three-storey building of the old central jail for Khaleda. The rooms were used as day care centre of the children of the accused in the past.
The old central jail is significant for many important historical events of the nation.
It is historically important for the nation as the four Liberation War heroes were brutally killed by some army officers inside the old central jail on November 3 in 1975 after the assassination of the Father of the Nation along with many of his family members and relatives on August 15 in the same year.
It is also where some of the top war criminals were imprisoned and executed.
All the inmates from the old central jail were transferred to the newly-built central jail in Keraniganj on July 29 in 2016.
Security measures have been beefed up in and around the old jail with new close-circuit television cameras set up around the jail.
