Dhaka – Ailing former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia may be flown to the United Kingdom for advanced medical care as her condition remains largely unchanged at a Dhaka hospital.
Zia, 80, the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital since November 23. Her care has been supervised by a team of local and international physicians including from the UK and China.
“If everything is in order, the BNP chairperson will be flown to London after midnight Thursday,” Zia’s physician, Zahid Hossain, told reporters at the hospital. The decision follows the advice of her specialist doctors.
According to sources at Evercare Hospital, her overall condition is largely unchanged, with only slight improvement in a lung infection over recent days. Serious heart complications persist, causing anxiety among her party and followers across the nation.
Zia is being treated under a medical board led by Professor Shahabuddin Talukder. On Wednesday, four specialist doctors from China and Dr. Richard Beale from the UK arrived in Dhaka and joined her medical team.
In a gesture of support, the Qatari government said on Thursday it is prepared to provide an air ambulance to transport Zia abroad if needed. The Qatari government has provided this service for her in the past.
In January, Khaleda Zia visited London for advanced treatment. There, she received treatment initially in a hospital and later at her son Tarique Rahman’s residence. She returned home on May 6 after nearly four months.
The interim government, headed by Muhammad Yunus, has announced special measures, including a VVIP security status for Zia provided by the Special Security Force. It has also called for prayers in all mosques across the country after Friday’s Jumu’ah prayers for her early recovery.
