BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will return home from London in a special air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar on Tuesday instead of Monday.
“Madam (Khaleda) will depart from London aboard the special air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar on Monday and reach Dhaka on Tuesday,” BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan said on Saturday night, quoting her personal physician Dr AZM Zahid Hossain.
Zahid, who has been staying in London to oversee the BNP chief’s treatment, also said the exact time of her departure from London and arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will be informed later.
Earlier in the night, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they have made all-out preparations to welcome their Chairperson Khaleda Zia with due reverence, as she is set to return home on Monday after four months of medical treatment in London.
“Naturally, we have a lot of emotions as our leader is returning home. Every patriotic person is also excited that their leader will return to the country. So, it is our moral responsibility to give her a proper reception,” he said.
Talking to reporters after a joint meeting of the BNP’s two Dhaka city units and senior leaders of the party’s associate bodies at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he also said, “Not only BNP, but also the people of the entire country are ready to welcome her.”
The BNP leader said the joint meeting was held to ensure that people can greet the BNP chief in a disciplined manner upon her homecoming. “We hope that on May 5th (Monday), our leader Begum Khaleda Zia will return to us on a special flight, probably the same Qatar Royal Family’s air ambulance that she flew on to London,” he said.
Fakhrul said they would confirm the time of her arrival later, as they have not yet received confirmation from the Qatari air ambulance authorities.
Replying to a question, he said Khaleda is expected to be accompanied by her two daughters-in-law — Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and Syeda Sharmila Rahman.
Fakhrul said Khaleda is now feeling much healthier than before after receiving advanced treatment in a family environment. “That’s why she decided to return to the country.”
He called upon BNP leaders and workers to stand on both sides of the road in a disciplined manner, without causing traffic congestion, to welcome their leader from the airport to her Gulshan residence.
The BNP leader said it has been decided that their leaders and workers would carry the national flag in one hand and the party flag in the other to welcome Khaleda. “Our leaders will take necessary steps to ensure discipline during the reception.”
He urged party members and journalists not to create any obstacles on her route so that she can return home smoothly.
Fakhrul said it may take nearly 10 hours for the BNP chief to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from London. “If she then remains stuck on the road for another four to five hours, she may become unwell. So, we must ensure she can reach home as quickly as possible.”
He also urged the general public to use the elevated expressway from the airport to Kakoli on the day of Khaleda’s return to avoid traffic congestion.
“I believe the people will fully cooperate and help make arrangements to welcome their beloved leader,” he added.
Khaleda Zia travelled to London on 8 January in a special air ambulance sent by the Amir of Qatar.
Upon arrival, she was admitted to the London Clinic, a private hospital, where she remained under the care of renowned specialists Professor Patrick Kennedy and Professor Jennifer Cross for 17 days.
Since 25 January, she has been receiving treatment at the residence of her elder son, Tarique Rahman.
BNP Media Cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan said Khaleda’s Gulshan residence ‘Firoza’ has been cleaned and prepared for her return.
Khaleda Zia was imprisoned in 2018 under the then Sheikh Hasina-led government following a conviction in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
In March 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the government temporarily released her on an executive order, suspending her sentence on condition that she remain at her Gulshan residence and not leave the country.
On 6 August 2023, Khaleda Zia was fully freed by an order from President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
Tarique Rahman, Dr Zubaida, and their daughter Zaima Rahman have been living in London since 2008. It will be Zubaida’s first return to Bangladesh in 17 years.