Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia, currently in critical condition, is set to be transported to the United Kingdom via air ambulance, her personal doctor confirmed on Thursday. The 80-year-old political leader, who remains a central figure in the upcoming February 2026 elections, is receiving intensive care in Dhaka following complications from a lung infection.
Despite her ongoing health challenges and years of imprisonment, Zia declared in November her intention to participate in next year’s elections. Her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely regarded as a frontrunner, especially following the mass uprising that ousted her longtime rival, Sheikh Hasina, last year.
“If everything goes well, we will take Khaleda Zia to London by Qatar’s Royal Air Ambulance,” said her doctor, AZM Zahid Hossain. While no exact timing for the flight was provided, a helicopter drill near the hospital suggested preparations were underway and that the transfer could occur within hours.
The air ambulance plan has been approved by a medical board comprising doctors from Bangladesh, Britain, China, and the United States. Dr. Hossain added that medical personnel would accompany Zia to ensure a safe and stable journey.
Zia’s health struggles have been compounded by years of legal and political challenges. She was imprisoned in 2018 under Sheikh Hasina’s government on corruption charges and was previously barred from traveling abroad for treatment. Following Hasina’s ouster last year, Zia was released from prison, allowing her to seek medical care overseas.
Her son, Tarique Rahman, 60, has resided in London since 2008 after citing politically motivated persecution in Bangladesh. Often regarded as Zia’s political heir, Rahman has indicated plans to run for office, although he has not been present in Bangladesh for 17 years. Since the change in power, he has been acquitted of a life sentence handed down in absentia in connection with a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally, a charge he has consistently denied.
Zia’s medical evacuation comes at a politically sensitive moment, with her party preparing for national elections and the BNP poised to play a decisive role in Bangladesh’s shifting political landscape. Observers say her transfer to the UK may also facilitate consultations with international medical experts and allow her to participate in campaign planning while receiving critical care.
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