Feni imam loses job for conducting prayer session for Khaleda

An imam of a Feni mosque has been laid off for conducting a prayer session for Covid-infected Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Imam Merajul Islam was fired "following suggestions of respected elders of the locality and ruling party leaders for conducting a prayer session for Khaleda Zia," Shonamiah Mestori Bari Jame Mosque managing committee president Nurul Afsar said on Sunday.

Md Shahid, BNP organising secretary of Paschim Fazilpur's ward 7 in Feni Sadar upazila, hosted the prayer session at the mosque on April 12, and the imam lost his job the following day.

The laid-off imam Merajul said he verbally heard about the decision on Saturday.

"As Md Shahid hosted the prayer session for Khaleda Zia, I served my duty as the imam of the mosque. During the prayer session, I prayed for Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina and all the Covid-19 affected people of the country. But some ruling party men got mad at me as I mentioned Khaleda Zia's name."

Feni district unit BNP convener Sheikh Farid Bahar and member secretary Alal Uddin Alal strongly condemned the incident saying, "The imam has been fired unjustly."

Meanwhile, the health condition of Khaleda Zia, who was infected with Covid-19, has improved a little bit as her temperature is showing a declining trend, her medical team head Dr FM Siddiqui said on Saturday night.

Stating that the BNP chief's Covid infection entered the ninth day on Saturday, he said, "She is now passing through a complicated time. We'll take the necessary steps immediately if we get any danger signal or deterioration in her condition. As of now, we think, everything is fine."

On April 10, the BNP chief underwent the Covid-19 test as eight other people at her residence were infected with the virus and her report came out positive.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year. Later, the government extended her release twice.