BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is likely to return to the country aboard the special air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.
He made the announcement during a press conference held at the party chairperson’s office in Gulshan on Saturday evening.
“We are hoping that on the 5th, our leader Begum Khaleda Zia will return on a special aircraft — possibly the same royal air ambulance of Qatar in which she traveled earlier. We cannot confirm the exact time yet, as it depends on several factors. If we get confirmation tonight, we will inform everyone accordingly,” said Mirza Fakhrul.
He added, “Madam will return. She is now feeling much better than before. That’s why she decided to come back. Naturally, there is a deep emotional connection among us regarding this. Every patriotic citizen is now encouraged and energised knowing that their beloved leader is returning home. It is our moral duty to give her a fitting reception. It’s not just the BNP — people from all over the country are ready to welcome her. We have already held a joint meeting to ensure that the public can greet her in an organised and disciplined manner.”
Present at the press conference were BNP Joint Secretary General Khairul Kabir Khokon, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Dhaka North BNP Convener Aminul Haque, Chairperson’s Personal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, and Security Coordinator Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Rahman, among other leaders.
On January 8, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia traveled to London for medical treatment aboard a special air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar.
On Friday, Shamsuddin Didar, a member of the BNP Chairperson’s press wing, informed the media that Khaleda Zia would return to the country on a regular flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The flight is scheduled to depart from London’s Heathrow Airport at 6:00 PM local time on May 4.
However, while preparations for this were underway, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated on Saturday evening that, if all goes well, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will return to the country on the same air ambulance.