BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia was scheduled to be flown to London for advanced treatment via an air ambulance from Germany, arranged through a special initiative by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
However, her medical team has yet to give the green light for the air ambulance to arrive.
Qatar Embassy’s Public Relations Officer Asadur Rahman told the media that it may take another two or three days for the doctors to grant final approval. Once a decision is made, the authorities will require at least one day’s notice.
Till the filing of this report on Friday, no further update has been provided by the medical team. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has granted permission for the Qatari air ambulance to land at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
This approval clears the final logistical hurdle for the aircraft to arrive in Dhaka.
According to a source, the air ambulance is expected to land in Dhaka from Tbilisi, Georgia, at 5pm on Tuesday [9 December], and depart for London at 8am on Wednesday [10 December]. This preliminary schedule has been shared with the civil aviation authority.
Meanwhile, the BNP has stated that once the air ambulance arrives, and upon consultation with the medical board, Khaleda Zia will be taken to a hospital in London for advanced treatment.
Previously, on Friday, the air ambulance was supposed to arrive to take Khaleda Zia to London. However, due to a technical glitch, the aircraft did not arrive, delaying the evacuation plan.
The current air ambulance is arranged from Germany, but the Government of Qatar is covering all associated costs, including rental and logistics.
Khaleda Zia has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital for the past 13 days. Her condition has raised concerns among party leaders and the public.
Her daughter-in-law, Dr Zubaida Rahman, a specialist physician, is currently in Dhaka. Party leaders and activists stationed outside the hospital gate continue to seek updates on her health.
Her personal physician, Dr AZM Jahid Hossain, stated that she remains under close observation in the Critical Care Unit (CCU) under the supervision of a panel of expert doctors.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the doctors are making every effort to improve the party chairperson’s health.
He mentioned that if the air ambulance from Qatar arrives as scheduled, as promised by the Qatari government, it will be possible to transfer Khaleda Zia to London for treatment.
BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan stated that the air ambulance sent by the Qatari royal family did not arrive on Friday due to a technical fault. The Emir of Qatar has kept his promise and is dispatching another air ambulance, which is scheduled to land at Dhaka airport at 5pm on Saturday.
Earlier, on Thursday, it was announced that preparations were complete to send Khaleda Zia to London on Friday. BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, arrived in Dhaka on Friday and visited Evercare Hospital at noon.
There, she assessed Khaleda Zia’s health status and consulted with the medical board.
Dr AZM Jahid Hossain said preparations were made to transfer her to London via the Qatari air ambulance based on the medical board’s decision and her physical condition, but the plan was postponed due to the aircraft’s technical fault.
Earlier this year, on 7 January, Khaleda Zia was flown to London for advanced treatment and returned to Bangladesh on 6 May.
She was admitted to the hospital on 23 November due to breathing difficulties and is currently being treated for pneumonia, and kidney and liver issues, as well as complications from arthritis and diabetes.
