Another drama over former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's trip abroad ended late on Monday night with her party workers raising questions.

She had planned to go to Singapore for treatment, but changed the decision in the last minute, as she was not in a position to take the journey due to illness.

Khaleda Zia’s youngest son, Arafat Rahman, his wife and a few members of the family were to accompany her during her Singapore visit.

“She postponed the trip because her health condition was not suitable for boarding a flight,” Emran Saleh Prince, Assistant Office Secretary of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said. “She will go to Singapore as soon as she recovers enough to travel abroad for better treatment.”

However, Khaleda’s brother, Sayeed Eskander whom she had appointed vice-president of her party amidst criticism by senior colleagues, left for London on Monday.

Media reports said she has been under intense government pressure to go into exile. The government, however, denied reports saying it never put pressure on her to go abroad.

On Monday, the government arrested Khaleda Zia’s close aide Hannan Shah who had said that she was still under pressure to go into exile. Shah, a retired brigadier general, was the first former military official to be arrested on corruption charge since President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state of emergency in the country on January 11.

Reforms
A number of senior leaders of her party have, meanwhile, demanded reforms in the party which Khaleda Zia ran single-handedly. They seem to be towing the government line that wants democracy within political parties and end to family hierarchy and dictatorship.

The military-backed interim government wants to carry out reforms, but it thinks it will be difficult to achieve goals if Khaleda Zia and her arch rival, Sheikh Hasina, also a former Prime Minister, remain in the country.

Its move to block Sheikh Hasina’s return from a foreign trip failed in the wake of criticism at home and abroad. Earlier, one of Khaleda Zia’s party official petitioned the High Court challenging the house arrest of his leader.
 He also urged the High Court to order the government not to send her abroad without her compliance. He alleged that Khaleda Zia was not allowed to receive visitors, and her telephone connections were cut off. “Though there is no criminal case against her, she is being harassed,” he alleged.

A two-judge bench ordered to restore her telephones and allow her to move freely. She then visited her relatives and met a number of party officials and foreign guests.