A medical board in Bangladesh has made a critical decision to send the country's ailing former Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, to London for advanced medical treatment. The 80-year-old chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to be transported via an air ambulance in a high-stakes operation.
Urgent Medical Evacuation Planned
The transfer is scheduled for late Thursday night or early Friday, according to her personal physician, Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain. He announced the decision outside the hospital, stating that the medical board unanimously agreed on the move. Zia will be flown using the Qatar Royal Air Ambulance service.
This urgent decision follows her hospitalisation on November 23 due to a severe chest infection that impacted her heart and lungs. Her condition worsened, leading to her admission into the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) just four days later.
International Medical Collaboration and Logistics
The choice for an immediate transfer was taken by an expanded medical board that included recently arrived specialists from the United Kingdom and China. A team of four Chinese specialists arrived on Wednesday night, joining a UK medical group led by Dr. Richard Buell. This was the second Chinese delegation, following an advance team that came on December 1.
Extensive logistical preparations are underway. Military and air force helicopters conducted rooftop landing tests at the hospital, as a helicopter is expected to ferry Zia from the hospital to the airport for her international flight.
Family, Security, and Political Context
Zia will be accompanied by a delegation of 14 people. The list includes six doctors, party adviser Enamul Haque Chowdhury, two Special Security Force (SSF) agents, personal assistants, and Syeda Shameela Rahman, the widow of Zia's younger son, Arafat Rahman.
Her elder son and acting BNP chief, Tarique Rahman, who has lived in London since 2008, expressed his emotional turmoil on Facebook. "In this time of crisis, like any child, I too long for the comforting touch of my mother," he wrote, adding that the decision was not solely in his control.
Rahman's legal history, involving various charges which were withdrawn by the interim government of Muhammad Yunus in 2024, adds a layer of political significance. Government advisers have stated they are prepared to process his travel documents should he wish to return to Bangladesh, though no request had been made as of Wednesday evening.
Nationwide Prayers and Leadership Visits
The situation has gripped the nation, with prayer gatherings being held across Bangladesh for Zia's recovery. Cities like Dhaka, Jhenaidah, Sunamganj, and Cumilla are among those where people have congregated.
Interim government leader Muhammad Yunus visited Zia in the hospital on Wednesday, following visits from the country's military service chiefs. Her family members, including her younger brother Shamim Iskandar and his wife, have been present at the hospital.
Dr. Hossain, who is also a BNP standing committee member, provided a brief update earlier in the week, noting her positive response to treatment but refrained from giving detailed comments on her current condition during the latest announcement.
