After years of relentless appeals and repeated denials by the Awami League government, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia flew to London last night for better medical treatment.

The 79-year-old former prime minister, who endured years of separation from her loved ones, is set to reunite with her son, Tarique Rahman, and other family members in what promises to be a long-awaited and emotional reunion.

Khaleda's departure marks a significant moment for her supporters, who have long campaigned for her right to receive proper medical care for severe ailments, including liver cirrhosis, diabetes, and arthritis.

The special Royal Air Ambulance, sent by Qatar's Emir, was supposed to depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:00pm. However, due to her late arrival at the airport, the flight left at 11:47pm.

The BNP chairperson's office had already completed the necessary immigration formalities.

The flight is scheduled to make a stopover in Qatar before continuing to London.

Accompanying the BNP chairperson on the journey was a 15-member team, including Syeda Sharmila Rahman, the wife of her late son Arafat Rahman Koko; several doctors, air ambulance specialists, BNP leaders, personal staffers, and caregivers.

Khaleda is expected to arrive at Heathrow International Airport this morning (Wednesday). She will be received by her son Tarique, his wife Zubaida Rahman, and their daughter Zaima Rahman.

She is scheduled to be taken directly to The London Clinic from the airport for her treatment, BNP leaders said.

Khaleda will be meeting her son for the first time in seven years on her first overseas visit since July 16, 2017, when she travelled to London for treatment.

Tarique, acting chairperson of BNP, has been residing in London with his family since 2008. Khaleda's younger son, Arafat Rahman Koko, died in Malaysia in 2015.

Khaleda set out from her Gulshan residence "Firoza" at 8:12pm. Her motorcade reached the airport at 10:51pm The journey from her home to the airport took over two hours due to severe traffic congestion caused by the presence of hundreds of party leaders and supporters on the streets.

Senior BNP leaders greeted her at the Gulshan residence before departure while party supporters gathered along the route, cheering and chanting slogans in her support. A significant number of law enforcers were deployed to maintain order.

Earlier, Khaleda's family members, including her younger brother Shamim Eskander, his wife Kaniz Fatima, and her late brother Sayeed Eskander's wife Nasrin, also greeted her at her residence.

The former PM's deteriorating health had been a matter of grave concern for years. Despite repeated appeals from her party and physicians to allow her to seek treatment abroad, the AL government rejected over 20 such requests.

Khaleda's personal physician Dr Zahid Hossain said, "If they [doctors in London] say she needs further treatment that they can't provide and there is a need to take her to Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, USA, that will be looked into."

According to doctors in Dhaka, the BNP chairperson may require a liver transplant because of the cirrhosis and the entire treatment process, including recovery, may take several months.

Zahid said doctors will decide the feasibility and timing of the liver transplant after a detailed evaluation at the specialised unit in London.

Khaleda'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.

Her health crisis, compounded by political resistance, had become a rallying point for BNP leaders and activists, who are now hopeful for her recovery and the opportunity for her to reunite with her family in peace.

BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told The Daily Star, "We've long been demanding that she receive treatment abroad, but we were unsuccessful. Due to the lack of adequate medical care, she reached a critical point, where her life was at risk. She is now slightly better and will fully recover once she receives treatment abroad.

"Khaleda Zia made the greatest contribution to the July-August movement because she inspired the entire country and gave strength without any compromise."

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, "During madam's imprisonment, she fell critically ill. We repeatedly urged Sheikh Hasina to allow her to seek medical treatment abroad, but she ignored our requests.

"She prays for the well-being of the people and the establishment of democracy."

CASES

According to Khaleda's lawyer, of the 37 cases filed against her during the caretaker government and AL government tenures, seven cases are still pending with the courts as of yesterday. These include the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, the Niko corruption case, three sabotage cases in Cumilla, and two defamation cases.

On February 8, 2018, Khaleda was jailed in a corruption case.

In April 2019, Khaleda's health deteriorated due to inadequate medical treatment. On March 26, 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, she was released from prison after 776 days.

The 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.