Stent installed in Khaleda’s heart: Fakhrul

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia after she suffered a mild heart attack. She underwent a surgery at the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka to have a stent placed in her artery.

“Doctors performed angiogram on Khaleda Zia and found blockage in coronary artery. They then successfully placed a ring there,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday.

Fakhrul came up with the information at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.

Earlier at an emergency meeting, he said the medical board formed for ensuring treatment of Khaleda at Evercare Hospital decided to perform the angiogram as she suffered the mild heart attack.

He said the BNP chief was suffering from suffocation and breathing problem following the heart attack.

Doctors hoped that she will get temporary relief from the heart problems as the ring has been installed, the BNP leader said.

Stating that Khaleda’s life will be at stake if she cannot receive advanced treatment, he renewed their party’s call for allowing the BNP chief to go abroad to save her life.

Fakhrul hoped that good sense will prevail upon the government this time to allow Khaleda to go abroad for advanced treatment. “Otherwise,they will be held responsible if anything bad happens to her.”

Earlier, Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital in the early hours of Saturday as she suddenly fell ill. The BNP chief was taken to the coronary care unit (CCU) of the hospital at 3:20am.

The BNP chief left her Gulshan residence for the hospital at 2:55amand was admitted there at 3:15am, said her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan.

Hearing the news of Khaleda's illness, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir rushed to her Gulshan residence and later went to the hospital.

Coming out of the hospital around 4:30am, Fakhrul said after some primary tests, the doctors found that she has cardiac problems.

"Madam's condition is stable now. How complicated her problem is can be confirmed after she undergoes different tests, especially an angiogram," he said.

He hoped that Khaleda would recover as she did in the past.