Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Hasina Medical Visit Blocked

Sheikh Hasina needs to be sent abroad for medical treatment, a team of doctors attests:

Prof Mohammad Abu Tahir, Prof Tofail Ahmed, Prof Pran Gopal Dutta, Prof Modasser Ali, Prof MU Kabir Chowdhury, Dr ABM Abdullah and Dr MH Millat examined her for over an hour after her admission in the morning. They concluded there is no alternative to sending her abroad for treatment if she is to avoid permanently impaired hearing.

In another development, the US doctors, who had earlier treated Hasina for the ear injuries she sustained in the August 21 grenade blasts, have requested the jail authorities to send her to their hospital in Florida without delay.
It makes sense that doctors who have treated her before would be in the best position to treat her again. So why is the government so reluctant to release her? What's she going to do? Apply for political asylum in the United States? Her position is not that weak, especially that the Awami League is poised to win the next election. So I see no harm in temporarily releasing Hasina.

On the other hand, there's a raging debate why the rich, elites and politicians have to go abroad for treatment when there are facilities in Bangladesh, but that's a whole different can of worms.