Decision on the petition submitted seeking an extension of the suspension of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s jail term and treatment abroad will be known on Tuesday, said Law Minister Anisul Huq on Monday.

“In the petition, they wanted the permanent release of Khaleda Zia as before. I do not understand what permanent release means. They are seeking permission to send her abroad. I have received the file today. I will make a decision on the petition soon after checking what they [Khaleda's family] have requested. It will be done by tomorrow Insha Allah,” he said while talking to reporters at his office.

The minister said, "I do not understand one thing. I have explained the law many times that she was released under Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Beyond that, we have nothing to do. But even then, every time, I see that they are applying in the same way they did first.”

He said it was clarified that there would be no change in the decision barring her from going abroad. “That means she cannot go abroad. We also allowed doctors from abroad to treat her.”

Replying to a question whether Khaleda can go abroad as per the wish of the head of the government, he said the prime minister cannot show humanity going beyond the law.

“The prime minister showed humanity first. Her jail suspension is being extended due to humanitarian reasons.”

On Sunday, a petition was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking another extension of the suspension of Khaleda Zia's jail term and permission to take her abroad for better treatment. Her younger brother Shamim Eskander submitted the petition saying that her life is at risk.

On 18 September 2023, the government extended the conditional suspension of Khaleda Zia’s jail term for another six months. With this, her jail sentence suspension was extended for eight times.

Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order by suspending her sentence on 25 March 2020, with conditions that she would stay at her Gulshan house and would not leave the country. Since then, her release term has been extended every six months following the family's plea.

Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on 8 February 2018. Later, she was found guilty and convicted in another corruption case the same year.

Khaleda, a 78-year-old former prime minister, has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems.