Bangladesh Opposition leader and former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s condition, which was reported serious on Friday night, was described as “very critical” on Saturday.
Zia, who heads the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party), was admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka last Sunday, where she is being attended upon by the country’s top doctors and foreign specialists.
BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was quoted by local media as saying that she had been hospitalised after contracting an infection of the heart and lungs. She is battling pneumonia and remains in the coronary care unit.
Alamgir said that “At this moment, she is not in a physical condition to be taken abroad. Once her condition stabilises, it will be considered whether overseas treatment is possible.”
Dhaka Tribune had reported earlier that Mahdi Amin, adviser to Tarique Rahman, Zia’s son and acting chairman of the BNP, had said the family was planning to fly her to London, where he is based, for advanced treatment.
Khaleda Zia had undergone four months of medical treatment in London, returning only in May. She is 80 years old and has a history of kidney ailments, diabetes and arthritis.
Any decision to move her at this point has political ramifications, too. The country is headed for elections in February, and while the BNP is expected to do well, the absence of Zia could tell on the party’s fortunes.
Her son Tarique was expected to return and lead the party in the polls, but there is no indication when he could come. A post on his Facebook page went thus:
In such a moment of crisis, the longing to feel a mother’s affection is something I, to,o experience, like any child. However, unlike others, the opportunity to fulfil this desire is not entirely open or solely within my control.”
“There are limits to how much detail can be shared about this sensitive matter. Our family remains hopeful that as soon as the political realities reach a favourable stage, the prolonged, anxious wait for my return to my homeland will finally come to an end.”
Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the Interim Adviser Mohammad Yunus, said, “The government has no restrictions or objections of any kind in this regard.”
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