Khaleda admitted to hospital
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Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia was directly taken to London Clinic after arriving at Heathrow International Airport in the United Kingdom on Wednesday.
According to the party鈥檚 media cell, the air ambulance carrying Khaleda Zia landed at Heathrow at about 9:00am local time (3:00pm Bangladesh time) on Wednesday.
Her son, party鈥檚 acting chairperson Tarique Rahman, along with his wife Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman, welcomed Khaleda Zia at the airport in an emotional reunion as the mother met with her son after seven years.
Tarique embraced his mother and Zubaida Rahman also became visibly emotional upon meeting her mother-in-law after long separation.
The reunited family then directly left for hospital. Upon reaching London Clinic, Khaleda was admitted under Professor Patrick Kennedy, according to BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan.
Party insiders confirmed that Bangladesh acting high commissioner to the UK Hazrat Ali Khan greeted Khaleda Zia at Heathrow with a bouquet of flowers.
Senior leaders of the party鈥檚 UK unit were also present to welcome the party chairperson. Several hundred party leaders and activists also gathered outside the airport at the time to greet their leader.
After completing immigration formalities, Khaleda departed for hospital in a car chauffeured by her son.
Earlier, the BNP chairperson left Dhaka at about 11:45pm on Tuesday for London for treatment in air ambulance provided by the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The 79-year-old former prime minister has long been suffering from several health issues, including liver cirrhosis, heart disease and kidney problems.
The now-ousted Awami League regime refused to let ailing Khaleda to seek medical treatment abroad, rejecting the BNP鈥檚 repeated demand.
Following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led regime through a student-led mass uprising on August 5, 2024, all cases against Khaleda Zia were dismissed through an executive order, paving the way for her to travel abroad for treatment.
Khaleda Zia last travelled to London on July 16, 2017 for follow-up treatment. Upon her return, she was imprisoned in early 2018 in connection with several cases.
