Condition of Quader 'improving'

Condition of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader is improving gradually, said a Bangladeshi physician, citing a medical board examining him at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

“All the parameters show that condition of Obaidul Quader is improving day by day,” said Dr Abu Nasar Rizvi, a professor at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).

Rizvi was talking after yesterday's briefing of the medical board, headed by Dr Koh Siam Soon Philip, which is supervising Quader's treatment in Singapore.

The road transport and bridges ministry, whose minister is Quader, shared a video of Rizvi's speech with journalists.

“His kidneys are now stable. Infection rate has also come down. His heart condition and pressure is now also good,” said Rizvi, who accompanied Quader to Singapore.

If Quader's condition keeps improving, the physicians may remove the devices attached to him within a day or two, he added.

The AL leader was flown to Singapore on Monday for better treatment as per advice of renowned Indian cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty.

Quader, 69, was admitted to the BSMMU on Sunday morning following breathing complications. Later, doctors conducted an angiogram and found three blockages in his coronary arteries.

Meanwhile, AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif yesterday said Quader would return home in a week or two.

Talking to journalists at the AL President's Dhanmondi office, Hanif said, “Doctors at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital have been observing Quader's condition and we have come to know about his condition from them.

“He will recover completely and return in a week or two.”

About the BNP's allegation of discrimination in providing treatment to Quader and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, he said, “Obaidul Quader is a brave freedom fighter. He is one of the best citizens in the country. It's sad and shameful to compare the Awami League leader with Khaleda Zia.”