Khaleda still unfit to travel: medical board

The air ambulance meant to take BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to London will not arrive in Dhaka today, as her medical board has again said she is not yet fit to travel.

Sources said the air ambulance will move only when the doctors confirm her condition has improved.

Meanwhile, the Germany-based FAI Aviation Group, which operates the air ambulance, said it has asked to cancel its previously approved landing schedule at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

A senior official of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed that the company submitted a formal withdrawal request through a local coordinating agency yesterday.

Contacted by The Daily Star, the official, seeking anonymity, said, "We'll forward the cancellation request to the foreign ministry for further necessary steps."

CAAB had earlier cleared the aircraft to land at 8:00am today and depart an hour later, according to the operator's initial request submitted on Sunday.

This is the fifth postponement of the BNP chief's planned departure.

The former prime minister's health condition has remained unchanged, with her medical board keeping her under close observation at Evercare Hospital in the capital.

Her medical board yesterday held a routine review meeting and found that her health has been improving very slowly, though no fresh deterioration was noticed as of yesterday noon.

BNP's media cell, quoting Khaleda's personal physician Dr AZM Zahid Hossain around 8:00pm, said her condition remains the same.

A member of the medical board Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and Khaleda's daughter-in-law, was at the hospital from 3:30pm for around eight hours and held several meetings with both local and foreign doctors. She also met Khaleda.

Doctors have not given permission for the former prime minister to travel as her current condition is not well enough for long-haul flights, the medical board said.

On December 6, Zahid, also a member of BNP's Standing Committee, said preparations for her travel had been made at the highest level, but her condition must be suitable for the journey.

On the advice of her medical board, Khaleda was admitted to the hospital on November 23 after being diagnosed with infections affecting her heart and lungs.

She is also suffering from pneumonia and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital's Coronary Care Unit.

Khaleda, 80, has long been battling multiple health complications, including liver cirrhosis. She has a permanent pacemaker and has previously undergone stent placement for her heart.

Meanwhile, special prayer programmes were held for the BNP chief in different parts of the country.

Party leaders and activists continued to gather outside the hospital yesterday, despite repeated instructions from the party not to crowd the premises.