Khaleda Zia's trip abroad for treatment postponed

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's travel abroad for treatment purpose has been postponed. Earlier, she was scheduled to leave the country for London on Friday.

According to her physicians, the travel has been delayed for a few days. However, they didn’t disclose the reason behind the delay.

BNP has yet not given any statement in this regard.

Media wing member of BNP chairperson, Samsuddin Didar, confirmed that Khaleda Zia is not going abroad on Friday.

He said: "We were informed about the delay today. She is not leaving Bangladesh today for some reasons. After completing all the procedures and formalities, madam will be taken out of the country for treatment."

He also said that everyone will be informed about this before her journey.

Meanwhile, all preparations were made to take Khaleda Zia to London. A letter was to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting arrangements to take Khaleda Zia to abroad for treatment as a former prime minister. Visa processing of all her entourage, including seven physicians of the medical broad formed for her treatment, has also been done. However, it has been postponed due to unknown reasons, said a BNP leader.

A member of Khaleda Zia's medical board said on condition of anonymity: "Madam's foreign journey would be delayed. The trip abroad could be next week or even later. Some complications have arisen in the field of foreign travel."

A few days ago, BNP Standing Committee member and former minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said that Khaleda Zia will first go to London, United Kingdom. From there, she will be taken to a multidisciplinary health center in the US or Germany for a liver transplant as per the advice of a specialist doctor.

The 79-year-old former prime minister has been battling a combination of liver cirrhosis, cardiac disease, lung problems, arthritis, kidney ailments and diabetes.

She has undergone extensive treatment at the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka under the supervision of a team of specialist doctors.

Most recently, she was discharged on August 21 after a month-long stay at the hospital amid the student-led mass uprising.

Doctors said that Khaleda needed to fly in a long-distance air ambulance equipped with all types of advanced medical facilities.

While there are short-distance air ambulances available for up to four-hour flights to countries like Thailand or Singapore, the 14-hour flight to London requires a long-distance air ambulance, which is only available in certain countries.