BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia departed Dhaka for advanced medical treatment in London tonight.
The air ambulance ferrying the former prime minister departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:47pm.
Earlier, her motorcade arrived at the airport at 10:51pm.
At the airport’s VIP lounge, BNP standing committee members had gathered to greet their party chief and wish her safe travels.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said Khaleda was jailed for six years on fabricated cases under the Awami League government’s oppression.
“During her imprisonment, she fell critically ill and had to be admitted to the hospital. We repeatedly urged Sheikh Hasina to allow her to seek medical treatment abroad, but the fascist Hasina ignored our requests,” Fakhrul told journalists at the airport.
“After the student and public uprising forced Hasina to flee, Khaleda Zia was released and travelled to London for medical treatment,” he said.
“She prays for the well-being of the people and the establishment of democracy,” Fakhrul added.
The 79-year-old politician left her Gulshan residence, “Firoza,” for the airport at 8:12pm.
The plane, sent by the emir of Qatar, was scheduled to depart at 10:00pm.
To see her off, a large number of BNP activists and supporters gathered along the roads in Gulshan, Kakoli, and near the airport.
Many people also gathered at her residence in the evening, hoping to see her once before her departure to London.
After landing in London, she is expected to be admitted to a London clinic.
After initial treatment, she may travel to the Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, USA, for further medical care, according to party insiders.
daily star
