BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is likely to depart for London on January 7 to undergo advanced medical treatment for multiple health conditions.
"Madam (Khaleda) may travel to London on January 7 if she remains fit for the air journey," her personal physician Prof AZM Zahid Hossain told UNB without giving further details.
Khaleda Zia is expected to first stay with her son, Tarique Rahman, in London before heading to the United States for treatment of her ongoing liver complications.
Her medical team said that all arrangements have been made for her treatment at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University Hospital in East Baltimore, Maryland.
Khaleda Zia, 79, has been battling multiple health issues, including liver cirrhosis, diabetes, arthritis, and complications involving her kidneys, lungs, heart, and eyes.
Her doctors have been advocating for her overseas treatment since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in late 2021.
Last year, on October 26, a team of three specialist doctors from the United States performed the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure to address fluid accumulation in her stomach and chest, as well as liver bleeding.
In an effort to accompany her during the trip, a 15-member delegation will travel with the BNP chief, including her late son Arafat Rahman Koko's wife, Syeda Sharmila Rahman, several physicians, BNP leaders, personal staff, and two housemaids.
A senior BNP leader revealed that Khaleda Zia’s office has already informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding her treatment abroad, including the details of the accompanying delegation.
According to sources, Khaleda Zia will be flown to London on an air ambulance provided by Qatar Airways.
Upon arrival, she will join her eldest son, Tarique Rahman, and his family, who have been living in London since 2008.
Khaleda Zia's health has been a subject of concern for years. She was incarcerated in 2018 following her conviction in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
In March 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the government temporarily released her on an executive order, suspending her sentence on the condition that she remain at her Gulshan residence and not leave the country.
On August 6, 2023, Khaleda Zia was fully freed by an order from President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
Her planned treatment abroad marks a new chapter in her ongoing battle with severe health conditions.