BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who has been undergoing advanced medical treatment at a clinic in London for the past three days, is currently in a stable condition.
The 79-year-old former prime minister has long battled various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and issues related to the kidney, lung, heart, and eyes.
According to her doctors, she is undergoing a series of medical tests that are expected to be completed within days.
A medical team comprising British and Bangladeshi doctors is closely monitoring her health, under the supervision of Patrick Kennedy, a consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist.
Khaleda reached London on Wednesday on an air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar.
There, she is very happy to be surrounded by her family after so many years, said party sources.
Her son Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, their daughter Zaima Rahman, and Sharmila Rahman, the widow of Khaleda’s late son Arafat Rahman Koko, are all attending to her needs, said Mohammed Malique, an adviser to the BNP chairperson and president of BNP’s UK chapter.
Tarique has been residing in London with his family since 2008. Khaleda’s younger son Koko died in Malaysia in 2015.
On February 8, 2018, Khaleda was jailed in a corruption case.
In April 2019, Khaleda’s health deteriorated due to inadequate medical treatment. On March 26, 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, she was released from prison after 776 days.
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. The term of her release had been extended several times.
In April 2021, she contracted Covid-19 and recovered while under treatment at home. However, as the other health complications surfaced, she was admitted to Evercare Hospital several times.
Daily Star
