[🇧🇩] Monitoring Khaleda Zia's political and health issues

[Saif]

Chinese medical team arrives in Dhaka to assist Khaleda's treatment

Team comprises four members; will assist local doctors

www.thedailystar.net

Chinese medical team arrives in Dhaka to assist Khaleda's treatment
Team comprises four members; will assist local doctors

Photo: Star file photo

A specialist medical team from China arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday night at 9:30, on a flight from Beijing, to assist with the treatment of former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

The team reached Evercare Hospital at 10:10pm.

According to party sources, the four-member team includes senior specialists Cai Jianfang, Yuan Xin, Zhang Yuhui, and Meng Hong.

The team is expected to work alongside local doctors in providing advanced medical support for Khaleda Zia, who has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital.

Earlier, a five-member foreign medical team arrived on December 1, and a UK physician arrived on Wednesday morning in Dhaka to facilitate Khaleda's treatment.​

 

[Saif]

Khaleda to be flown to UK for advanced treatment: Fakhrul

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia may be flown to the United Kingdom early Friday for advanced treatment by a royal air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar, said party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday. “You have already heard that we have received a highly advanc

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Khaleda to be flown to UK for advanced treatment: Fakhrul

Published :
Dec 04, 2025 18:27
Updated :
Dec 04, 2025 18:27

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia may be flown to the United Kingdom early Friday for advanced treatment by a royal air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar, said party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday.

“You have already heard that we have received a highly advanced air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar, on his own initiative and out of his generosity. It will arrive here tonight and, most likely, very early in the morning, they will take our leader Begum Khaleda Zia to the United Kingdom,” he said.

The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, UNB reports.

He said all necessary procedures for Khaleda’s travel have already been completed. “You may have also come to know who will be accompanying her. A team of doctors will travel with Madam.”

The BNP leader said the royal air ambulance is equipped with very modern facilities. “It has everything available, even an operation theatre.”

Fakhrul said the medical board formed with local and foreign specialists has recommended shifting Khaleda to a specialised hospital in the UK for better treatment, and BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has given his consent to the decision.

Seeking prayers from the people, he said, “We pray to Almighty Allah to ensure her safe journey and good health, and that she returns to us fully recovered.”

Fakhrul urged the people of the country to pray for the recovery of “the most popular leader of the nation — the uncompromising leader of democracy — who is seen as a guardian by people across the country, no matter their political views.”

BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan was also present at the press conference.

Earlier in the day, Khaleda’s personal physician and party Standing Committee Member AZM Zahid Hossain said she will be flown to London for advanced medical treatment.

The decision was made unanimously by a medical board including local and foreign specialists, he told reporters at a briefing in front of Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.

“She will be taken to London by a Qatar royal air ambulance. We have selected a hospital in London for her treatment and, InshAllah, we will take her there,” he said.

He said several specialist doctors and two foreign physicians will accompany Khaleda Zia during her trip to the UK.

Regarding her current condition, Zahid said every step has been taken strictly as advised by the medical board. “They advised that sending her to London at this stage is the most appropriate. We hope she will recover and return to us.”

On 8 January, Khaleda Zia travelled to London in a special air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar for advanced medical treatment and returned home on 6 May by the special air ambulance.

The former prime minister has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital since 23 November after being admitted with multiple health complications. As her condition worsened, she was moved to the Critical Care Unit on 27 November, where she is still under close observation.

Doctors said Khaleda Zia is receiving intensive care for several complications related to her liver, kidneys and heart.

A medical board, led by Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, is supervising her treatment with support from specialist physicians.

The government has declared Khaleda Zia a ‘Very Very Important Person’ and deployed members of the Special Security Force to ensure her safety.​

 

[Saif]

Prison sentence during AL tenure responsible for Khaleda’s illness: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that party chief Khaleda Zia’s long-running health complications began during her two-year imprisonment under the Awami League government. He described it as the result of “criminal negligence” and a lack of proper med

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Prison sentence during AL tenure responsible for Khaleda’s illness: Fakhrul

bdnews24.com
Published :
Dec 05, 2025 21:47
Updated :
Dec 05, 2025 21:47

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that party chief Khaleda Zia’s long-running health complications began during her two-year imprisonment under the Awami League government.

He described it as the result of “criminal negligence” and a lack of proper medical care.

Speaking after a special prayer gathering at Naya Paltan Jame Mosque for Khaleda’s recovery following Friday prayers, Fakhrul said: “She became even more unwell due to the absence of adequate treatment.”

He said the party expects that once an air ambulance arrives in Dhaka on Saturday, the 79-year-old former prime minister could be flown to London the following day.

Khaleda has long suffered from arthritis and diabetes, alongside kidney, liver, lung, cardiac and eye complications. She has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since Nov 23 due to a chest infection.

Khaleda was jailed on Feb 8, 2018 after being convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. When her health deteriorated in custody, she was transferred to the Bangladesh Medical University Hospital under prison supervision.

In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Awami League government suspended her sentence by executive order, releasing her under conditions that required her to stay at her Gulshan residence and barred her from seeking treatment abroad.

She was hospitalised several times in the years that followed and underwent major medical procedures.

Circumstances changed after the fall of the Awami League government in July 2024.

Khaleda was freed on Aug 7 last year under a presidential order, and the High Court subsequently acquitted her in two cases. She travelled to London for treatment in January this year, but was hospitalised again on Nov 23.

Fakhrul said, “Our leader has devoted her entire life to establishing democracy in this country. Everyone knows the unjust treatment, repression and persecution she faced under the previous ‘fascist’ Hasina regime. She was kept imprisoned for six long years.”

“For two of those years, she was held in solitary confinement. Many believe her illnesses originated there.”

He added that people across Bangladesh offered prayers for her recovery after Friday prayers, regardless of political affiliation.

Fakhrul urged the nation to continue praying “with heart and soul” for Khaleda.

The medical board overseeing her treatment decided on Thursday that she should be taken to the United Kingdom for advanced care, via a special air ambulance from the emir of Qatar, as was the case in January.

Although she had been expected to leave on Friday morning, Fakhrul later said the air ambulance could not arrive due to a “technical glitch”.

Subject to medical clearance, Khaleda may be flown to London on Sunday.

“Doctors are trying their utmost. If the air ambulance arrives tomorrow, it may be possible to take her to London the day after, on Sunday,” Fakhrul said.​

 

[Saif]

Qatar to send air ambulance rented from Germany for Khaleda Zia

The Qatari embassy in Dhaka and two officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo on Friday evening.

en.prothomalo.com

Qatar to send air ambulance rented from Germany for Khaleda Zia
Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 05 Dec 2025, 20: 34

Photo shows the air ambulance that that the Qatari royal family sent last January to fly Khaleda Zia to London. File photo

The Qatari government is sending an air ambulance from a German company to Dhaka to fly former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia to London for advanced treatment. The air ambulance will come to Dhaka from Tbilisi, Georgia.

The Qatari embassy in Dhaka and two officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo on Friday evening.

Asadur Rahman, public relations officer of the Qatari embassy in Dhaka, told Prothom Alo that the Qatari government is renting an air ambulance from a German company and sending it to Dhaka. The air ambulance will arrive in Dhaka in coordination with physicians and BNP leaders.

A senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that, on the instructions of the Emir of Qatar, the air ambulance is being sent to take Khaleda Zia to London. However, the exact departure time of the air ambulance from Dhaka to London will be finalised after discussion with her physicians and BNP leaders.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. File photo

Multiple diplomatic sources said that the number of people accompanying Khaleda Zia on the air ambulance from Dhaka to London will be limited. Initially, BNP had listed 18 people, and a few of them will be given priority to travel with Khaleda Zia on the air ambulance, while the remaining members will travel by commercial flight.

Khaleda Zia has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital for nearly two weeks. BNP leaders said, quoting physicians, that her health condition is concerning.

Originally, a special air ambulance was to be sent from Qatar to Dhaka for Khaleda Zia. However, technical maintenance issues created complications in sending it. As a swift alternative, Qatar is now sending a rented German-based private air ambulance.

Earlier, in January, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia had travelled to London for better treatment. At that time she used an air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar.​

 

[Saif]

Khaleda not fit to fly yet

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia is unlikely to be taken to London immediately, as the medical board treating her has considered that she is not physically fit for air travel.

www.newagebd.net

Khaleda not fit to fly yet
Staff Correspondent 06 December, 2025, 19:53

Khaleda Zia | UNB file photo

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia is unlikely to be taken to London immediately, as the medical board treating her has considered that she is not physically fit for air travel.

BNP standing committee member AZM Zahid Hossain, who is also a member of the medical board, announced this at a briefing outside the Evercare Hospital on Saturday afternoon.

He said that the BNP chief’s transfer abroad for advanced medical treatment would ultimately be dictated by her future physical condition, as advised by the medical board.

The planned overseas transfer of Khaleda has been delayed because the air ambulance arranged by the Amir of Qatar suffered a technical fault and the medical board collectively decided that it would not be suitable for her to fly at that specific moment, Zahid said.Travel guide book

‘The former prime minister’s physical condition will determine the time of her safe transfer. The medical board is deeply concerned about the physiological changes an unwell patient may experience during a long-haul flight, especially the challenges of adjusting to high altitude during a 12- to 14-hour journey,’ Zahid, also the personal physician of BNP chairperson, said.

He said that air ambulance was always on standby, but despite being fully prepared, the highest priority remained ensuring Khaleda Zia’s proper treatment as well as her safety and security from a medical standpoint.

Zahid said that the respected members of the medical board — including specialists from the UK, the United States, Bangladesh and even China — were all placing the greatest emphasis on her physical condition.

He requested the people not to spread rumours or misinformation regarding the BNP chairperson’s health and urged them to rely only on verified facts.

The medical board remains highly optimistic that Khaleda Zia will recover from her physical complications, Zahid said.

The planned medical transfer of Khaleda to London for advanced treatment might be pushed back once more, according to BNP leaders.

Initially, the BNP had scheduled Khaleda’s departure for London for December 5 on an air ambulance from Qatar.

However, the aircraft failed to arrive due to technical issues, prompting the party to announce a revised plan for December 7.

To facilitate the transfer, the Qatari authorities had arranged to hire a German air ambulance, party sources said.

BNP insiders confirmed that Khaleda’s medical transfer had been further delayed as she remains in a critical condition and has been suffering from a high fever over the past couple of days.

Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital on November 23 and, after examinations, doctors confirmed that she had developed a lung infection.

On November 27, she was moved to the critical care unit, where she remained under the care of a joint medical team comprising doctors from the US, the UK and Bangladesh.​

 

[Saif]

Air ambulance hired for Khaleda Zia’s London trip cleared to land in Dhaka on Tuesday

The air ambulance chartered to fly BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to London for medical treatment has received clearance to land in Dhaka on Tuesday morning. A senior officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed on Sunday that Bangladesh had approved the request submitted on

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Air ambulance hired for Khaleda Zia’s London trip cleared to land in Dhaka on Tuesday

bdnews24.com
Published :
Dec 07, 2025 23:24
Updated :
Dec 07, 2025 23:24

The air ambulance chartered to fly BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to London for medical treatment has received clearance to land in Dhaka on Tuesday morning.

A senior officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed on Sunday that Bangladesh had approved the request submitted on Saturday by Germany-based FAI Aviation Group through a third party.

The aircraft was greenlighted to land at 8am on Tuesday, with a possible departure slot from Dhaka at 9pm the same day.

However, the FAI Aviation Group’s initial application had sought clearance to land in Dhaka on Tuesday and depart for London on Wednesday.

Khaleda has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka for nearly two weeks. She had originally been scheduled to leave for London early Friday morning aboard a special air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar, but the BNP later said the flight was delayed due to “technical issues”.

By Friday evening, the party announced that the Qatari special air ambulance would not be arriving, adding that the emir would instead arrange an air ambulance rented from Germany.

The BNP has yet to say when this new aircraft will arrive or when the former prime minister will be flown out.

According to the medical board overseeing her treatment, Khaleda is not yet medically fit for air travel, which is why her departure has been delayed.

A doctor on the board told bdnews24.com on Saturday that she may become fit for travel around Dec 9-10.

According to the Qatar Embassy in Dhaka, the air ambulance has been hired from FAI Aviation Group, based in Nuremberg, Germany. The aircraft is a twin-engine Bombardier Challenger (CL-60 series) jet kitted out with full medical facilities.

The company’s website says its air ambulances carry advanced equipment, including ventilators, monitoring units, infusion pumps, oxygen supply, medication and other medical equipment. The crew typically includes experienced doctors, nurses and paramedics trained in in-flight critical care.

Khaleda last travelled to London for medical treatment in January, flying on an air ambulance from the emir of Qatar’s personal fleet.​

 

[Saif]

Khaleda Zia’s treatment to continue in Dhaka for now

Plans to take Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia to London for advanced medical treatment have become increasingly uncertain. According to responsible sources, her current physical condition is not yet suitable for air-ambulance travel. In...

en.prothomalo.com

Khaleda Zia’s treatment to continue in Dhaka for now
Special Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 09 Dec 2025, 11: 09

BNP chairperson Khaleda ZiaTaken form Tarique Rahman's Facebook post
Plans to take Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia to London for advanced medical treatment have become increasingly uncertain.

According to responsible sources, her current physical condition is not yet suitable for air-ambulance travel. In particular, her cardiac complications have reached a significantly critical stage.

In addition, her diabetes, kidney issues, lung-related complications and other chronic conditions remain unchanged. For the time being, she will continue to receive treatment in Dhaka, where she is undergoing daily dialysis.

In this situation, no new initiative has emerged, either from the BNP or from Khaleda Zia’s family, regarding her potential transfer to London. The process initiated by the Emir of Qatar to send an air ambulance has now been placed on hold.

Meanwhile, Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, has been visiting Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on a daily basis to see Khaleda Zia. She went to the hospital at around 3:30 pm on Monday, overseeing aspects of the treatment.

Speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday, BNP’s central health affairs secretary and physician Rafiqul Islam said, “As a member of Madam Khaleda Zia’s medical board, Zubaida Rahman has joined the team and is actively supervising Madam’s treatment.”

The air ambulance rented for her transfer to London is not arriving immediately. Until yesterday, the BNP had not conveyed to the operators that the aircraft should come to Dhaka, as the decision entirely depends on her medical condition and the medical board’s approval.

To facilitate Khaleda Zia’s transfer abroad, the Qatar Emir arranged the rental of an air ambulance from FAI Aviation Group, a Germany-based airline. In accordance with procedure, FAI Aviation applied last Saturday for landing and take-off clearance at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. Approval for landing was granted, but the schedule has since changed.

Sources within the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) say that the original application submitted by FAI Aviation sought permission for arrival in Dhaka on Tuesday, with departure for London on Wednesday.

Eighty-year-old Khaleda Zia has long been suffering from a range of critical health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and severe kidney complications.

She was rushed to Evercare Hospital on 23 November after she experienced breathing difficulties. Her treatment is being carried out under the supervision of both local and international specialists forming the medical board.

Physicians continue to consider her condition “critical”. Their assessment is that the coming days are extremely crucial, and that without stabilisation of her kidney function, achieving any lasting improvement in her overall health will be difficult.​

 

[Saif]

Khaleda Zia responds to treatment, doctors optimistic about her progress

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is responding to treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital as she did in the past, according to her personal physician and BNP leader Dr AZM Zahid Hossain. Addressing the media outside the hospital on Wednesday night, the BNP standing committee member said the

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Khaleda Zia responds to treatment, doctors optimistic about her progress

UNB
Published :
Dec 10, 2025 21:48
Updated :
Dec 10, 2025 21:48

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is responding to treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital as she did in the past, according to her personal physician and BNP leader Dr AZM Zahid Hossain.

Addressing the media outside the hospital on Wednesday night, the BNP standing committee member said the former prime minister continues to receive intensive care treatment at the hospital.

“Doctors are very optimistic about her progress,” Dr AZM Zahid Hossain added, urging all not to pay heed to any rumours on social media regarding her health.

According to UNB, Dr Zahid said local and foreign doctors are working together to ensure the best possible treatment for the former prime minister. “In medical terms, she is responding to the treatment being given,” he said.

He said there was a plan to airlift Khaleda Zia to the UK last Friday for advanced treatment and an air ambulance arranged by the Emir of Qatar was expected to take her to London.

The physician, however, said this was not possible due to a technical problem with the air ambulance and also because Khaleda was not fit enough to fly at that time.

Dr Zahid said the medical board, which includes specialists from both Bangladesh and abroad, is working to ensure that Khaleda Zia receives all necessary treatment at Evercare Hospital.

He said she may still be taken abroad if required, but it is not possible to say exactly when that might happen. “The time has not come yet to give a definite date.”

Khaleda Zia has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital since 23 November and was moved to the Critical Care Unit on 27 November with multiple health complications.

A medical board led by cardiologist Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, and including specialists from Bangladesh, the UK, the USA, and China, is supervising her treatment.

Her daughter-in-law, Dr Zubaida Rahman, has been attending the medical board’s meetings in person since returning to Dhaka.​