Khaleda Zia to return home from London on May 5
NEWS DESK
Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, also a former prime minister, is scheduled to return home from London on Monday after nearly four months of advanced medical treatment there.
BNP chairperson’s private secretary ABM Abdus Sattar confirmed on Friday that Khaleda was expected to arrive in Dhaka in the morning of May 5.
She will be accompanied by her two daughters-in-law — Zubaida Rahman, wife of Tarique Rahman, and Syeda Shamila Rahman, wife of late Arafat Rahman.
Khaleda left for London on January 8 in a special air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar.
She was admitted to the London Clinic, a medical facility in the city, under the care of specialist doctors Professor Patrick Kennedy and Professor Jennifer Cross, where she received treatment for 17 consecutive days.
From January 25 onwards, she continued recovering at the residence of her elder son Tarique Rahman.
According to her private secretary, Khaleda Zia is scheduled to depart London on May 4 and will arrive in Dhaka at about 11:00am on a Bangladesh Biman flight.
BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan confirmed that all preparations had been completed at Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan residence ahead of her return.
At 79, Khaleda has been suffering from several health issues, including liver cirrhosis, heart disease and kidney problems.
The BNP had long demanded that Khaleda be allowed to have medical treatment abroad, but the Awami League regime, which was ousted on August 5, 2024, in a mass uprising, had consistently turned down the requests, citing legal hurdles related to her convictions in two cases.
However, following the political changeover, all cases against Khaleda were dismissed through an executive order, paving the way for her travelling abroad for treatment.
On April 30, the BNP chairperson’s private secretary sent a letter to the Inspector General of Police, requesting enhanced security arrangements for Zubaida Rahman during her stay in Dhaka.
The letter cited security concerns due to her status as a member of the Zia family and the spouse of Tarique.
During her time in Dhaka, Zubaida is expected to stay at her parental home at Dhanmondi.
The BNP has requested several precautionary measures, including the deployment of an armed security guard, a police escort with a vehicle, police surveillance at her residence and the installation of an archway at her house to strengthen security.
