Khaleda Zia in no condition to travel overseas for treatment, says Fakhrul

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, currently receiving treatment in a Dhaka hospital, is not in a condition to be sent abroad, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said.

The BNP secretary general provided the update on Khaleda’s condition at a press conference on Saturday afternoon at her Gulshan office.

“If, by Allah’s unbound mercy, her condition stabilises, we will consider whether transferring her abroad is possible,” he said.

He said a team of the nation’s leading doctors, alongside specialists from Johns Hopkins in the United States and King’s College London, are overseeing her treatment.

“Last night, the medical board convened for over two hours, discussing each doctor’s assessment and formulating a treatment plan,” Fakhrul said. 

Preparations for a potential overseas move are under way, including visas, coordination with possible destination countries, and arrangements for an air ambulance, Fakhrul added. 

“If the situation allows and she is deemed fit to fly, a rapid decision can be made for her transfer.”

Khaleda, 79, has long battled multiple health issues, including arthritis, diabetes, kidney and liver complications, respiratory problems, and eye disorders. She was admitted to Evercare Hospital on the night of Nov 23 for health evaluations after a chest infection was detected.

Prof FM Siddiqui, a member of her medical board, explained that her simultaneous heart and lung complications -- she has a permanent pacemaker and previous stent placements -- were causing severe breathing difficulties, necessitating urgent hospitalisation.

Worried over her critical condition, President Mohammed Sahabuddin and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus have sought prayers from the nation for her recovery.