Dhaka, Dec 06 (V7N) – The plan to transfer critically ill BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to London for advanced treatment has been delayed, as her medical team awaits a fresh assessment of her condition and Qatar arranges a replacement air ambulance from Germany following technical complications with the originally scheduled aircraft.

Khaleda’s medical board initially concluded on Wednesday night that she was stable enough to be taken abroad. However, her condition deteriorated slightly on Thursday night, prompting the board to postpone final approval. One board member, speaking anonymously, said the team will reassess her condition before making a definitive decision.

The BNP chief was scheduled to fly to London on Friday, but both the technical issues with the Qatar-provided air ambulance and her fluctuating health forced a delay. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir reiterated that she would only be flown out once doctors consider her fit for air travel.

Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, arrived in Dhaka on Friday morning to accompany Khaleda during the medical transfer. Party sources said the air ambulance originally arranged by Qatar encountered technical problems and therefore could not depart. The government of Qatar has since arranged for a replacement aircraft to depart from Germany instead.

According to a senior BNP leader, the replacement air ambulance could arrive in Dhaka around 5:00pm on Saturday, but only if the medical board confirms that she is stable enough to travel. He noted that the onboard doctors will also conduct an additional fitness check. If her condition remains stable over the next 36 hours, she could be flown to London on Sunday.

A spokesman at the Embassy of Qatar in Dhaka confirmed that the air ambulance, facilitated by the Emir of Qatar, will now come from Germany rather than Qatar. He said the timing of the aircraft’s arrival will depend on BNP’s confirmation that Khaleda is ready to travel.

After Jum’a prayers on Friday, Mirza Fakhrul told reporters that doctors continue to make every effort to stabilize her. He said that if the aircraft reaches Dhaka on Saturday and the medical board approves the transfer, the BNP chief could be moved to London the following day.

Special prayers were held across Bangladesh on Friday seeking Khaleda’s recovery. Prayers were offered in mosques after Jum’a prayers at the initiative of the BNP, while party members and supporters also held prayer services at temples, churches, pagodas, and other places of worship. Fakhrul participated in a doa mahfil at the Nayapaltan Jam-e-Mosque alongside senior party leaders.

Speaking to the media after the prayers, Fakhrul said Khaleda remains in a serious condition in the CCU of Evercare Hospital. He said doctors from both within the country and abroad believe that she requires more advanced treatment, which is why arrangements are being made to shift her to a medical facility in England.

He recalled Khaleda’s prolonged illness, beginning from her time in the central jail and significantly worsening during the Covid-19 period. Although she experienced some improvement, her condition has sharply declined again in recent days.

BNP Media Cell member Atiqur Rahman Rumon confirmed that Dr Zubaida Rahman reached Dhaka at 10:45am on a flight from London and went directly to Evercare Hospital to be with her mother-in-law. After spending several hours with the medical team, she later visited her parents’ home in Dhanmondi.

Khaleda Zia has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital since November 23 and was transferred to the Critical Care Unit on November 27 due to multiple complications. As of Friday evening, party officials said her condition remains unchanged but critical, with constant monitoring by a medical board led by Professor Shahabuddin Talukdar and assisted by both local and foreign specialists.

Earlier this year, on January 8, Khaleda was flown to London in a Qatar-arranged air ambulance for specialized treatment at London Clinic. She returned to Dhaka four months later, on May 6, aboard the same aircraft.

END/SMA/AJ/