By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Aug 30 (IANS): Family members of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supremo Khaleda Zia have a sought a six months extension on a government order that released her from prison earlier this year.

Zia's younger brother Shamim Iskandar applied to the Ministry of Home Affairs recently seeking the extension, said the former Prime Minister's family members.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said they have received a written application and was forwarded to the Law Ministry.

Seeking anonymity, a lawyer who prepared the documents said the letter that secured release for the BNP Chairperson earlier was submitted again this time from her family members.

It was mentioned in the letter that Zia could not take proper treatment because she had to stay home amid the coronaviruspandemic.

The former premier was released from prison on March 25 after she served a prison term for 776 days.

Through an executive order to release her for six months, the government said that she would have stay at home in the capital and not leave the country.

It suspended her sentence as per section 401 of Criminal Code of Procedure on "humanitarian grounds".

Zia's physicians have said that she was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and ophthalmological and dental ailments.