Ailing former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Tuesday left for London in a special royal air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar for treatment. The three-time former prime minister, who heads the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is reportedly suffering from ailments including liver cirrhosis, heart disease and kidney problems.
The 79-year-old leader left Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport late on Tuesday night. Earlier, hundreds of his supporters had gathered outside his residence in Gulshan area of Dhaka to see him off, according to Dhaka Tribune.
It took almost three hours for his convoy to cover the distance of about 10 kilometers from his home to the airport, with many supporters trying to welcome him along the way, causing traffic chaos. The visit was broadcast live by Bangladeshi television stations.
Ms Zia is the widow of former Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman. In London, she will reportedly be united with her son Tariq Rehman, who has been living in the United Kingdom with his family since 2008. This will reportedly be Ms Zia’s first reunion with her son, who is also the acting president of the BNP, in seven years. Years and his first trip abroad after his release from prison.
The BNP chief was sentenced to 17 years in prison under the rule of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following two corruption cases during 2001-2006, when she was prime minister. Her supporters claim the charges were politically motivated, a charge Ms Hasina’s administration has denied.
Under Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, Ms Zia was acquitted in one case in November and the other case is in appeal court.
Ms Zia left Dhaka on Tuesday on a special air ambulance sent by Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, her personal physician, AZM. Zahid Hussain told the Associated Press.
Bangladesh’s uncertain future
The BNP leader left behind a South Asian country grappling with uncertainty over its political future after he was ousted in a student-led mass uprising in August 2024, when his rival Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule ended. Ms. Hasina fled into exile in India after she and her close associates were accused of killing hundreds of protesters during a massive protest movement that began in July.
Ms Zia’s party is bargaining with the Yunus-led government for elections sometime this year. Yunus said his government wants to make some major reforms before planning elections in December this year or in the first half of 2026.
The departure of the former prime minister could create a symbolic void in the country’s politics amid efforts by a student group leading anti-Hasina protests to form a new political party. In the absence of Ms Hasina and her secular Bangladesh Awami League party, the Muslim-majority country of 170 million people has seen the rise of Islamist political parties and other Islamist groups.
