Bangladesh

Khaleda and Tarique reunite after 7yrs

The ex-PM was driven to the London Clinic by her son directly from Heathrow
Khaleda Zia Meets Son Tarique Zia in London
Photo: BNP Media Cell

It had been precisely 2,732 days since BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia met her only surviving son.

Until yesterday.

As she emerged out of the Heathrow International Airport in London on a wheelchair, it was first her daughter-in-law Zubaida Rahman who embraced her.

Her son Tarique Rahman then slowly walked towards her. He leaned forward and gave his ailing mother a gentle hug. 

The emotions, both joy and relief, that filled the air were palpable.

Photo: BNP Media Cell

Clad in a golden saree, covered in a grey shawl, Khaleda tenderly placed her hand on her son's back, as they both smiled warmly, leaving onlookers moved by the silent, yet heartfelt exchange.

Mohammad Hazrat Ali Khan, acting high commissioner of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom, and several leaders of UK BNP also greeted the party chief at the airport with flowers.

Accompanied by Zubaida, Tarique, acting chairman of BNP who had been living in London with his family since 2008, then took it upon himself to drive his mother to the London Clinic directly from the airport.

The former prime minister was then admitted there.

This marks Khaleda's first overseas trip since July 16, 2017, when she last traveled to London for medical treatment. She had spent three months with her family and celebrated Eid-ul-Azha that year.

Photo: BNP Media Cell

The 79-year-old former prime minister departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:46pm on Tuesday (January 7), heading to London via Doha on the Qatar Royal Family's Airbus A319 air ambulance arranged by the Emir of Qatar.

She arrived at Heathrow at 2:55pm (Bangladesh time) after a 15-hour journey.

A 15-member team, including Syeda Sharmila Rahman, the wife of Khaleda's late son Arafat Rahman Koko; doctors, air ambulance specialists, party leaders, personal staffers, and caregivers accompanied her on the journey.

The air ambulance took off an hour and 46 minutes late, as Khaleda's convoy moved slowly amidst the huge crowd of BNP leaders and activists lining the streets.

The BNP chief's eventual departure only became possible after the fall of the AL regime on August 5, 2024, signaling a major shift in the country's political landscape. She was fully freed by an order from President Mohammed Shahabuddin the very next day, paving the way for her overseas treatment.

A three-time former prime minister, Khaleda has been battling multiple health issues, including liver cirrhosis, diabetes, arthritis, and complications involving her kidneys, lungs, heart and eyes.

Doctors from Bangladesh handed over Khaleda's medical documents to UK-based specialists, who have reviewed all necessary tests and records to plan her next steps for treatment, according to party sources.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, her personal physician and BNP standing committee member AZM Zahid Hossain said the Khaleda will be under the supervision of Dr Patrick Kennedy, a consultant of gastroenterology and hepatology at the London Clinic.

Dr Kennedy, a globally recognised expert in liver diseases, is known for his pioneering work in viral liver conditions and holds a special interest in treating complex liver-related ailments.

Zahid earlier said Khaleda's next course of treatment will be determined after the doctors in London assess her health status, adding that she may require a liver transplant because of the cirrhosis and the entire treatment process, including recovery, may take several months.

Her medical board in Dhaka said she might have to be taken to Johns Hopkins University Hospital for further treatment but only if the London Clinic doctors recommend it.

Also battling several lawsuits, Khaleda was jailed in a corruption case on February 8, 2018.

In April 2019, her health deteriorated due to inadequate medical treatment. She was released from prison after 776 days on March 26, 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The AL government temporarily released her on an executive order, suspending her sentence on the condition that she remain at her Gulshan residence and not leave the country. The term of her release had been extended several times.

In April 2021, she contracted Covid-19 and recovered while under treatment at home. However, as the other health complications surfaced, she was admitted to Evercare Hospital several times.

On October 26, 2023, a team of three specialist doctors from the United States performed the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure to address the fluid accumulation in her stomach and chest, as well as a bleed in the liver.

Senior BNP leaders, who, along with other activists, have campaigned for Khaleda's access to proper medical care over the past five years, said her medical trip to London is a pivotal moment for the party.

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Khaleda and Tarique reunite after 7yrs

The ex-PM was driven to the London Clinic by her son directly from Heathrow
Khaleda Zia Meets Son Tarique Zia in London
Photo: BNP Media Cell

It had been precisely 2,732 days since BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia met her only surviving son.

Until yesterday.

As she emerged out of the Heathrow International Airport in London on a wheelchair, it was first her daughter-in-law Zubaida Rahman who embraced her.

Her son Tarique Rahman then slowly walked towards her. He leaned forward and gave his ailing mother a gentle hug. 

The emotions, both joy and relief, that filled the air were palpable.

Photo: BNP Media Cell

Clad in a golden saree, covered in a grey shawl, Khaleda tenderly placed her hand on her son's back, as they both smiled warmly, leaving onlookers moved by the silent, yet heartfelt exchange.

Mohammad Hazrat Ali Khan, acting high commissioner of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom, and several leaders of UK BNP also greeted the party chief at the airport with flowers.

Accompanied by Zubaida, Tarique, acting chairman of BNP who had been living in London with his family since 2008, then took it upon himself to drive his mother to the London Clinic directly from the airport.

The former prime minister was then admitted there.

This marks Khaleda's first overseas trip since July 16, 2017, when she last traveled to London for medical treatment. She had spent three months with her family and celebrated Eid-ul-Azha that year.

Photo: BNP Media Cell

The 79-year-old former prime minister departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:46pm on Tuesday (January 7), heading to London via Doha on the Qatar Royal Family's Airbus A319 air ambulance arranged by the Emir of Qatar.

She arrived at Heathrow at 2:55pm (Bangladesh time) after a 15-hour journey.

A 15-member team, including Syeda Sharmila Rahman, the wife of Khaleda's late son Arafat Rahman Koko; doctors, air ambulance specialists, party leaders, personal staffers, and caregivers accompanied her on the journey.

The air ambulance took off an hour and 46 minutes late, as Khaleda's convoy moved slowly amidst the huge crowd of BNP leaders and activists lining the streets.

The BNP chief's eventual departure only became possible after the fall of the AL regime on August 5, 2024, signaling a major shift in the country's political landscape. She was fully freed by an order from President Mohammed Shahabuddin the very next day, paving the way for her overseas treatment.

A three-time former prime minister, Khaleda has been battling multiple health issues, including liver cirrhosis, diabetes, arthritis, and complications involving her kidneys, lungs, heart and eyes.

Doctors from Bangladesh handed over Khaleda's medical documents to UK-based specialists, who have reviewed all necessary tests and records to plan her next steps for treatment, according to party sources.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, her personal physician and BNP standing committee member AZM Zahid Hossain said the Khaleda will be under the supervision of Dr Patrick Kennedy, a consultant of gastroenterology and hepatology at the London Clinic.

Dr Kennedy, a globally recognised expert in liver diseases, is known for his pioneering work in viral liver conditions and holds a special interest in treating complex liver-related ailments.

Zahid earlier said Khaleda's next course of treatment will be determined after the doctors in London assess her health status, adding that she may require a liver transplant because of the cirrhosis and the entire treatment process, including recovery, may take several months.

Her medical board in Dhaka said she might have to be taken to Johns Hopkins University Hospital for further treatment but only if the London Clinic doctors recommend it.

Also battling several lawsuits, Khaleda was jailed in a corruption case on February 8, 2018.

In April 2019, her health deteriorated due to inadequate medical treatment. She was released from prison after 776 days on March 26, 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The AL government temporarily released her on an executive order, suspending her sentence on the condition that she remain at her Gulshan residence and not leave the country. The term of her release had been extended several times.

In April 2021, she contracted Covid-19 and recovered while under treatment at home. However, as the other health complications surfaced, she was admitted to Evercare Hospital several times.

On October 26, 2023, a team of three specialist doctors from the United States performed the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure to address the fluid accumulation in her stomach and chest, as well as a bleed in the liver.

Senior BNP leaders, who, along with other activists, have campaigned for Khaleda's access to proper medical care over the past five years, said her medical trip to London is a pivotal moment for the party.

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