Qatar, UAE offer air ambulance for Khaleda’s medical evacuation

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have offered to provide an air ambulance to facilitate the medical evacuation of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who remains in critical condition at Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital.

Diplomatic sources confirmed that Qatar formally approved the request on Thursday morning, raising the possibility of her transfer to the United Kingdom as early as Friday, pending final clearances.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir formally requested air ambulance support from Qatari Ambassador Seraiya Ali Al Kahtani on November 29, listing 14 individuals authorized to travel with Khaleda Zia, including her daughter-in-law Syeda Shameela Rahman, seven doctors, two security personnel, two aides, and two domestic staff.

Khaleda Zia, 80, was admitted to Evercare Hospital on the night of November 23 after suffering acute breathing difficulties. Diagnosed with a lung infection, she was initially monitored in the Special Dependency Unit before being moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where she remains under close observation.

Her hospitalization has drawn supporters from across Bangladesh, though crowds outside the facility have significantly thinned in recent days.

British critical care specialist Dr. Richard Beale landed in Dhaka on Wednesday, followed hours later by a four-member medical team from China, highlighting the gravity of her condition and the coordinated effort to stabilize her before any potential transfer.

MHK