BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has returned to Dhaka following a four-month stay in London for medical treatment.
She arrived at 10:40 am aboard an air ambulance arranged by the Emir of Qatar. Accompanying her were her two daughters-in-law — Zubaida Rahman, wife of Tarique Rahman, and Syeda Sharmila Rahman, widow of Arafat Rahman Coco.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moin Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, and Selima Rahman, were present at the airport to welcome her.
Hundreds of party leaders and supporters gathered along the route from the airport to her residence, Feroza, in Gulshan, chanting slogans to express solidarity.
Khaleda Zia had travelled to London in January to receive advanced medical treatment.
The air ambulance departed from Heathrow Airport at 4:20pm local time. Khaleda’s son, Tarique Rahman, personally drove her to the airport and saw her off, according to her private physician, Prof AZM Zahid Hossain.
Tarique and his wife, Zubaida Rahman, have been residing in London since leaving Bangladesh during the 2008 state of emergency. While this marks Zubaida’s first return to the country since then, it remains unclear when Tarique himself will come back.
Khaleda Zia, 79, has been battling several chronic health issues, including liver cirrhosis, kidney complications, cardiac problems, diabetes, and arthritis.
She left for London on January 7 aboard a special air ambulance arranged by the Emir of Qatar. Her treatment at the London Clinic was overseen by physicians Patrick Kennedy and Jennifer Cross, where she remained for 17 days before moving to Tarique’s residence.
