Tuesday, 09 December, 2025
BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, currently undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, will not be flown to London for the time being, as her health has not improved sufficiently for air travel.
A member of her medical board, speaking anonymously, told UNB on Monday (8 December 2025) that Khaleda Zia’s recovery remains below the level required for a long-haul flight.
“Whenever one complication improves, another emerges. While one health parameter is stabilised, another fluctuates,” the doctor said.
While her longstanding liver condition is being managed, the board remains concerned about her kidney function. “Our medical team has therefore decided not to send her abroad until her condition improves further,” he added.
Khaleda Zia, 80, has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital since 23 November and was admitted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) on 27 November due to multiple health complications. Her care is supervised by a board led by cardiologist Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, alongside specialists from Bangladesh, the UK, USA, and China.
The former prime minister has long suffered from chronic illnesses, including arthritis, diabetes, kidney, liver, lung, heart, and eye problems. A medical board of around two dozen local and foreign specialists meets daily to monitor and adjust her treatment.
Another board member said her condition is not deteriorating, but she remains at risk. “Advanced care is being provided in the CCU. Each night, the board reviews her condition, discussing individual issues, adjusting medications, and modifying dosages as required.”
Her daughter-in-law, Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, attends the board meetings in person, while meals are delivered daily from her Gulshan residence on medical advice.
The air ambulance arranged by the Emir of Qatar to transport Khaleda Zia to London will not arrive on Tuesday, after the operator requested the cancellation of its previously approved landing at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
A senior official at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said Germany-based FAI Aviation Group submitted a formal request through a local agency to withdraw its earlier landing slot. Earlier, CAAB had approved the ambulance to land on Tuesday morning.
The BNP had planned to fly Khaleda Zia to London on Friday for advanced treatment in a special air ambulance from Qatar. However, the flight was initially delayed due to a technical issue, and the Qatari embassy later confirmed that the Emir’s ambulance would not arrive, promising a replacement aircraft from Germany.
The BNP has not yet confirmed when the new air ambulance will arrive or when Khaleda Zia will be flown to London.
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BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, currently undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, will not be flown to London for the time being, as her health has not improved sufficiently for air travel.
A member of her medical board, speaking anonymously, told UNB on Monday (8 December 2025) that Khaleda Zia’s recovery remains below the level required for a long-haul flight.
“Whenever one complication improves, another emerges. While one health parameter is stabilised, another fluctuates,” the doctor said.
While her longstanding liver condition is being managed, the board remains concerned about her kidney function. “Our medical team has therefore decided not to send her abroad until her condition improves further,” he added.
Khaleda Zia, 80, has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital since 23 November and was admitted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) on 27 November due to multiple health complications. Her care is supervised by a board led by cardiologist Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, alongside specialists from Bangladesh, the UK, USA, and China.
The former prime minister has long suffered from chronic illnesses, including arthritis, diabetes, kidney, liver, lung, heart, and eye problems. A medical board of around two dozen local and foreign specialists meets daily to monitor and adjust her treatment.
Another board member said her condition is not deteriorating, but she remains at risk. “Advanced care is being provided in the CCU. Each night, the board reviews her condition, discussing individual issues, adjusting medications, and modifying dosages as required.”
Her daughter-in-law, Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, attends the board meetings in person, while meals are delivered daily from her Gulshan residence on medical advice.
The air ambulance arranged by the Emir of Qatar to transport Khaleda Zia to London will not arrive on Tuesday, after the operator requested the cancellation of its previously approved landing at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
A senior official at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said Germany-based FAI Aviation Group submitted a formal request through a local agency to withdraw its earlier landing slot. Earlier, CAAB had approved the ambulance to land on Tuesday morning.
The BNP had planned to fly Khaleda Zia to London on Friday for advanced treatment in a special air ambulance from Qatar. However, the flight was initially delayed due to a technical issue, and the Qatari embassy later confirmed that the Emir’s ambulance would not arrive, promising a replacement aircraft from Germany.
The BNP has not yet confirmed when the new air ambulance will arrive or when Khaleda Zia will be flown to London.
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