The nation is watching with anxiety, sympathy, and political tension as BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia fights for her life in a Dhaka hospital. Doctors and family members have warned that she is not yet strong enough to travel abroad for advanced treatment.
The 80-year-old leader, a dominant figure in the country’s political landscape for four decades, has been in a “critical” state for two days, according to her party. Despite repeated assurances that arrangements are in place to move her overseas, specialists say she is not physically stable enough to endure such a journey.
Khaleda Zia returned home in May after spending four months in London for treatment, an episode that had prompted widespread speculation about her political future. Her sudden deterioration has again thrust her into the centre of national attention. She suffers from multiple chronic illnesses—including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and kidney complications—and has become the focus of an intense and emotional public vigil.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters on Saturday that her condition remains too fragile for any immediate move abroad. “If the physical condition of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia becomes stable by the mercy of Almighty Allah, then it will be considered whether it will be possible to take her abroad,” he said.
Medical specialists from Bangladesh, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and China are jointly overseeing her treatment, Fakhrul said, with consultations including Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of Khaleda’s elder son Tarique. A high-level medical board in met for more than two hours on Friday to assess next steps. “Her condition is somewhat critical,” Fakhrul said. “The doctors are saying that it may be necessary to take Khaleda Zia abroad. The preparations—visas, communication with possible destination countries, arrangements for an air ambulance—have already been extensively discussed. If it becomes necessary and she is ready to fly, a decision can be made very quickly.”
AZM Zahid Hossain, her personal physician and a BNP Standing Committee member, told reporters outside Evercare Hospital on Saturday night that Khaleda Zia has remained in the same condition since Thursday and is responding to the treatment she is receiving. “She is receiving the prescribed treatment and we hope she will recover,” he said. Zahid said her treatment is being closely monitored and guided by her elder son Tarique Rahman, acting BNP chairman. “Alongside our country’s medical board, her care involves doctors from several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and China, as well as Dr Zubaida Rahman. If her physical condition improves and the medical board advises, she may be taken abroad,” he added.
Dr Zahid also appealed to BNP leaders and supporters, asking them not to crowd the hospital. “To ensure smooth treatment for Khaleda Zia as well as other patients, political leaders and party workers should not gather at the hospital,” he said.
In London, Khaleda’s elder son Tarique Rahman and his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, have been monitoring her condition “constantly, on a daily basis,” according to the party. By her bedside in Dhaka is Syeda Sharmila Rahman Sithi, wife of Khaleda’s late younger son, Arafat Rahman Koko—one of the few close relatives able to be physically present.
Her deteriorating condition has prompted an outpouring of public concern far beyond her political base. President Mohammad Shahabuddin issued a public message urging the nation to pray for her recovery. “At this crucial juncture in the country’s democratic transition, I convey my heartfelt wishes for the early recovery of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia,” he said. “I pray to Almighty Allah for her good health and call upon the countrymen to keep her in their prayers.”
Members of the interim Council of Advisers also prayed for her recovery during a special meeting on Saturday, while BNP organised prayer sessions across the country on Friday and Saturday.
Her condition has drawn large numbers of supporters, well-wishers, and political leaders to Evercare Hospital. The crowds have grown so dense that hospital authorities are reportedly struggling to maintain normal operations. Fakhrul issued an urgent appeal, saying, “A large crowd is gathering at the hospital. Because of this, the hospital authorities and doctors are feeling very embarrassed. It is creating obstacles for them in providing treatment to Madam (Khaleda) as well as to other patients. Please, no one should crowd the hospital.” He urged BNP leaders and supporters to stay away. “We will inform you of her health bulletin in due time. But no one should be present there.”
Khaleda Zia has been at the heart of Bangladesh’s turbulent political history since the early 1980s, stepping into public life after the assassination of her husband, BNP founder President Ziaur Rahman. She went on to serve three terms as prime minister and has remained one of the country’s most influential and polarising figures.
Her current battle for survival comes at a delicate moment, with the country navigating a complex political transition. For now, the nation is watching, waiting, and praying as one of its longest-serving political figures fights for her life.
