Post by : Rameen Ariff

Plans to airlift Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia to London for advanced medical treatment have been delayed yet again, marking the third postponement in her scheduled travel. The 80-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson has been receiving care at Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital since November 23 for multiple health complications, but technical and logistical issues with the air ambulance have repeatedly prevented her departure.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) had initially approved the landing of a Germany-based FAI Aviation Group aircraft, arranged by the Qatar government, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday. The aircraft, a fully equipped Bombardier Challenger CL-60 series jet with in-flight intensive care facilities, is staffed by trained doctors, nurses, and paramedics. It is specially fitted with ventilators, monitors, infusion pumps, and oxygen systems to provide critical care during long-haul medical transport.

However, on Monday, the FAI Aviation Group requested the cancellation of its previously approved landing slot, leaving officials without a revised schedule. According to CAAB sources, the air ambulance operator formally communicated its withdrawal through a coordinating agency, citing technical issues that prevented the timely execution of the evacuation plan. The initial approval had set the aircraft to land at 8:00 am and depart around 9:00 pm the same day.

The Qatar government had arranged the replacement air ambulance after selecting a new aircraft for the long-range evacuation. This is not the first time Khaleda Zia’s medical travel to the UK has faced delays. Earlier, her departure was postponed to Sunday due to similar technical issues, and prior arrangements were also deferred as she remained medically unfit for long-distance air travel. Her personal physician, AZM Zahid Hossain, who is also a BNP policy-making committee member, confirmed that the medical board had decided she needed advanced treatment in London and had intended to schedule her departure late Thursday night or early Friday. However, her condition continued to require careful monitoring.

Khaleda Zia last travelled to London for medical care in January, using an air ambulance from the Emir of Qatar’s personal fleet. The current delays underline the challenges involved in arranging international medical evacuations for critically ill patients, especially at her advanced age and with multiple health concerns. Her family, including her elder son and acting BNP chief Tarique Rahman, await her arrival in London to oversee her treatment.

Officials have stressed that patient safety remains the highest priority, and all necessary medical and logistical arrangements will be carefully coordinated before she departs. The repeated postponements highlight both the technical challenges of air medical evacuations and the ongoing health struggles of Bangladesh’s former prime minister.

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