Khaleda departs Dhaka for advanced treatment in London

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has departed Dhaka for London to seek advanced medical treatment. 

Her flight left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:45pm on Tuesday, January 7.  

Khaleda Zia’s motorcade left her Gulshan residence, Firoza, around 8:15pm, and she reached the airport by 10:45pm. 

Boarding the aircraft at 11:10pm, she embarked on her journey via a special air ambulance arranged by the Emir of Qatar. The Royal Air Ambulance will make a stopover in Doha before landing at Heathrow Airport in the UK at 10:00am Bangladesh time on Wednesday, January 8.  

A significant crowd of BNP leaders, activists, and supporters gathered outside her residence and along the route to the airport to bid her farewell. They waved and wished the former prime minister a speedy recovery and safe return.  

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was seen entering Khaleda Zia’s residence earlier in the evening, while party leaders and supporters gathered in Gulshan from the afternoon.  

Khaleda Zia last visited London on July 16, 2017, for follow-up treatment for her eyes and legs. Upon her return to Bangladesh, she was convicted in several corruption cases and spent a considerable period in jail beginning in early 2018.