Dhaka, Jan 05, (V7N) - The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee members are set to meet with the party’s Chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Sunday night ahead of her scheduled medical trip to London. The meeting will take place at Khaleda’s residence in Gulshan at 8 p.m., as confirmed by BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan.
 
Khaleda Zia is expected to depart Dhaka on Tuesday, January 7, at 10 p.m. for London. Afterward, she will continue her treatment in the United States. A BNP leader close to her shared that if no complications arise, she will travel via Qatar Airways air ambulance to London.
 
Khaleda Zia’s journey may also include a stopover in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. This will mark her second overseas medical trip, following her 2017 visit to London for treatment. It will also be her first time reuniting with her son, Tarique Rahman, in seven years, and her first overseas trip since being freed from jail.
 
Khaleda Zia, 79, has been battling liver cirrhosis, for which she requires a liver transplant. She is also dealing with other health issues, including diabetes, arthritis, and complications with her kidneys, lungs, heart, and eyes. Medical experts have advised her to seek treatment abroad. Her doctors have arranged for her care at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, USA, after her stay in London.
 
In preparation for her trip, a 15-member delegation will accompany Khaleda Zia, including her son Tarique Rahman’s wife, Syeda Sharmila Rahman, several physicians, BNP leaders, personal staff, and two housemaids.
 
Khaleda Zia’s office has informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the trip and provided details about the accompanying delegation. The trip follows her release from jail on August 6, 2023, under an order from President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
 
END/SMA/AJ/