Staff Correspondent

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who has long been suffering from several critical health conditions, finally left for London on Tuesday night aboard a special air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar to receive advanced treatment at The London Clinic.

The 79-year-old, three-time former prime minister, departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:46pm, heading for London via Doha on the Qatar Royal Family's Airbus A319 air ambulance, said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan.

The air ambulance took off 1 hour and 46 minutes late, as Khaleda's convoy moved slowly amidst the huge crowd of BNP leaders and activists lining the streets.

Khaleda left her Gulshan residence, "Firoza," at 8:15 PM, and her motorcade arrived at the airport at 10:51 PM.

Senior BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee members, saw off Khaleda Zia at the airport.

Sources at the UK Chapter of BNP said the former premier is expected to reach Heathrow Airport at 11:30am (London time) on Wednesday, after a one-hour stopover in the Qatari capital, Doha.

They also said the authorities at Heathrow Airport will provide her with VIP protocol.

Amid tight security from the police and other law enforcement agencies, thousands of leaders and activists escorted Khaleda Zia’s motorcade from her Gulshan residence to the airport.

The entire route was filled with various slogans as the crowd waved their hands at every intersection and greeted their beloved leader.

After bidding farewell to Khaleda Zia, the BNP Secretary General told reporters that Bangladesh's most popular leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, was jailed in false cases under the fascist Awami League government.

During her time in prison, she became seriously ill and was subsequently admitted to the hospital.

"We repeatedly requested the fascist Awami League government to allow her to go abroad for treatment, but fascist Hasina did not pay heed to it," Fakhrul said.

"By the infinite mercy of Allah, after Hasina fled the country following a student-led mass uprising, our leader had today embarked on a journey to London for treatment, having been freed from all the false cases. We express our gratitude to Allah for this."

The BNP leader expressed hope that Khaleda would return to the people of the country after receiving proper treatment.

He said the BNP chief had urged the country's people to pray for her.

Fakhrul said Khaleda prayed to Allah for the welfare of the country and its people.

When asked what message she gave before leaving the country, he said Khaleda asked them to work towards establishing democracy and upholding the democratic system.

The special air ambulance carrying BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia also transported four Royal Qatari doctors and paramedics.

Besides, six members of Khaleda Zia's medical board—Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, Professor FM Siddique, Professor Naruddin Ahmed, Dr. Zafar Iqbal, Professor AZM Zahid Hossain, and Dr. Mohammad Al Mamun— were accompanying her on the flight.

Khaleda's entourage also included her daughter-in-law, Syeda Sharmila Rahman, the wife of her late son Arafat Rahman Koko, advisory council member Enamul Haque Chowdhury, executive committee member Tabith Awal, private secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, along with other personal staff and employees.

Meanwhile, thousands of BNP leaders and activists, along with members of its affiliated bodies, gathered along the footpaths from Gulshan-2, Kakoli, and Airport Road to bid farewell to the former Prime Minister.

The party leaders and activists, in their thousands, also thronged in front of Khaleda’s Gulshan residence from the afternoon to see her off.

To ensure security during Khaleda’s departure, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) took special measures, including deployment of an adequate number of law enforcement personnel from the Airport Armed Police, RAB, DMP, DB and SWAT teams.

Khaleda’s doctors have been advocating for her treatment abroad ever since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in late 2021. Despite the severity of her condition, she was denied permission to travel for treatment by the Awami League government, citing legal hurdles related to her convictions in two cases.

However, on August 6, 2024, a day after the fall of the Awami League government, Khaleda was fully freed by an order from President Mohammed Shahabuddin, paving the way for her overseas treatment.

Tarique Rahman and his family have been living in London since 2008. This will be Khaleda’s first reunion with her son Tarique in seven years, and her first overseas visit since she was freed from jail.

On July 15, 2017, the BNP chief went to London and received treatment, spent time with her family members and celebrated Eid-ul-Azha with them during her three month stay there.

From the airport, Khaleda will be directly admitted to “The London Clinic, an advanced medical centre in London, from the Heathrow Airport, said her physician Dr AZM Zahid Hossain.

He said the former prime minister will remain under care at The London Clinic, where doctors will assess her health and determine her next course of treatment.

A special air ambulance dispatched by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, landed on the VIP tarmac at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 7:40pm on Monday to transport BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to London.

The Qatar Royal Family's Airbus A319 air ambulance, designed for long-distance medical evacuations, is equipped with advanced medical facilities, making it a "flying ICU." It includes ventilators, defibrillators, infusion pumps and cardiac monitors, ensuring continuous care during transit.

The aircraft features a spacious and customisable interior, with areas for stretchers, patient zones and seating for family or specialists.

Onboard, a team of four physicians and paramedics is ready to handle emergencies.

Besides, the A319's advanced climate control, soundproofing, and pressurised cabin ensure both patient comfort and safety, while real-time communication with ground experts enables the onboard medical team to provide continuous care.

With its enhanced fuel capacity and ability to land on shorter runways, the A319 is perfectly suited for long-haul medical flights.

At a press conference on Monday, Dr Zahid said Khaleda has been suffering from various physical complications, including compensated liver cirrhosis (Grade 2), for which she previously underwent the TIPS procedure.

“There’re some technical aspects of the TIPS, including the adjustments. We could not check it, and we have not been able to determine if the stenting set up in her heart is functioning properly... there are several blockages in her heart,” he said.

The BNP leader also said Khaleda had earlier undergone angioplasty with stenting, but it is also necessary to address her other blockages.

Besides, he said the BNP chief suffers from chronic kidney disease and some post-Covid complications. “So, she requires a thorough check-up.”

When asked whether the former prime minister would consider a liver transplant, Dr Zahid said the liver transplant unit at The London Clinic would decide this considering her age and physical condition.

“You must remember, we are dealing with a patient who has multiple conditions. This is why we are moving her to The London Clinic, which is a multidisciplinary, advanced centre. The doctors there will review her condition and then determine the next course of her treatment,” he said.

In response to another question about Khaleda’s treatment in the United States, Zahid said she may be taken to Johns Hopkins University Hospital if only recommended by the doctors at The London Clinic.

When asked whether the BNP chief would travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, he said she would definitely do so on her way back home, provided her health allows. “However, it is not pre-decided.”

Earlier on Sunday night, all members of the BNP Standing Committee met Khaleda to bid her farewell.

Khaleda Zia has long been battling multiple health issues, including diabetes, arthritis, and eye complications.

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 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. Since then, she has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, under the