The air ambulance arranged by the Emir of Qatar will fly to Dhaka as soon as Khaleda Zia’s medical board approves her travel abroad, BNP Chairperson’s adviser Enamul Haque Chowdhury said on Saturday.
“The air ambulance will come to Bangladesh once Madam’s medical board makes a decision. They are prepared accordingly,” he said.
Chowdhury said he has been in constant touch with Qatari authorities on behalf of the party.
“When the medical board decides she is fit to fly, the air ambulance will come to Dhaka right away. They are fully prepared,” he added.
Once the board gives the go-ahead signal, Chowdhury said, Khaleda will be taken to London for advanced treatment. “All arrangements have already been made by the Qatar authorities.”
Asked about Germany’s involvement in arranging the aircraft, he clarified, “Yes, the air ambulance has been managed from Germany. We are not arranging anything ourselves. The Qatar authorities have organised a modern air ambulance from Germany. Everything is being done under the royal authority of Bangladesh’s former prime minister.”
Meanwhile, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s condition remains unchanged, according to her doctors. Members of the medical board are keeping her under close observation at the Critical Care Unit (CCU) of Evercare Hospital.
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A member of the medical board, wishing not to be named, told UNB that Khaleda has not yet gained the medical stability needed for long-distance air travel.
“For this reason, her journey to London has been delayed. Our board has done several tests over the last two days, and the results are now being reviewed. The board is meeting every day to check her condition and treatment progress,” he said.
The BNP chief has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital since November 23 and was moved to the Critical Care Unit on November 27 with multiple health complications.
Khaleda's treatment is being supervised by a medical board led by Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, with both local and foreign specialists.
Earlier this year, on January 8, Khaleda was flown to London in a Qatari air ambulance for advanced treatment and received care at The London Clinic.
She returned to Bangladesh four months later, on May 6, in the same air ambulance.
Khaleda’s daughter-in-law, Dr Zubaida Rahman — also a member of the medical board — arrived in Dhaka from London on Friday to accompany her mother-in-law abroad once she is cleared to fly.