Khaleda Zia to return home Tuesday morning

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia is scheduled to return home on Tuesday morning after undergoing treatment in London, reports BSS.

"BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:30am on Tuesday… she will depart from London for Dhaka by a special air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar," BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan told BSS on Sunday.

Khan confirmed the development after consulting Khaleda Zia's personal physician and BNP Standing Committee Member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Earlier, on Saturday evening, Mirza Fakhrul told the media that Khaleda Zia would return to Dhaka from London via the special air ambulance provided by the Qatari Emir.

The former premier will be accompanied by her two daughters-in-law — Dr Zubaida Rahman and Sharmila Rahman. Her personal physician Dr Zahid Hossain, adviser Enamul Haque Chowdhury, APS Masudur Rahman, and two domestic aides, Fatima Begum and Rupa Haque, are also traveling with her.

The announcement of her return has sparked excitement among BNP leaders and supporters. The party and its affiliated organizations have taken extensive preparations to welcome their chairperson.

BNP policymakers and key leaders have held a series of meetings in recent days to plan her reception. On Friday evening, Mirza Fakhrul presided over a joint meeting with senior leaders of BNP's Dhaka city units and affiliated bodies.

"We have received assurances that BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia will return to the country by a special air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar," Fakhrul reiterated.

Khaleda Zia was imprisoned in 2018 following her conviction in a graft case and confined to the Old Dhaka Central Jail. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was released under executive order and placed under house arrest on humanitarian grounds.

Following a mass political uprising on August 5 last year, President Mohammed Shahabuddin granted her full release, and the court later quashed the corruption convictions.

On January 8 this year, Khaleda Zia was flown to London for advanced medical treatment. After 17 days of treatment at a London clinic, she moved to the residence of her son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on January 25.

This year, after more than half a decade, Khaleda Zia was able to celebrate Eid with her family members.