Tarique’s homecoming expected if Khaleda Zia’s condition remains unchanged: BNP

BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman will decide on returning home after reviewing whether party chief and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is medically fit to be taken abroad for advanced treatment, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Tuesday.

Speaking to a media outlet in the afternoon, Fakhrul said Tarique Rahman will decide on his return after assessing whether Khaleda Zia is fit to be taken abroad for advanced treatment. If her condition stays the same, he is expected to come back to the country soon, he added.

The statement was shared in a post on the BNP’s verified Facebook page on Tuesday evening, quoting Mirza Fakhrul.

Earlier in the day, during a press briefing outside Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, journalists asked Khaleda Zia’s personal physician and BNP Standing Committee member Dr Zahid Hossain about the prospects of taking her abroad.

Dr Zahid said specialists from the UK are scheduled to examine her, and the medical board will decide if she is fit for transfer.

“If the board considers her transferable and recommends sending her abroad, she will be taken out of the country at the appropriate time,” he said. “All preparations are in place, but nothing can be done beyond the medical board’s advice given her current condition.”

Khaleda Zia has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital for the past 10 days. She is suffering from multiple complications, including liver problems, reduced kidney function and respiratory distress. She was admitted in critical condition on 23 November, when tests revealed a lung infection.

Last Friday, Mirza Fakhrul described her condition as extremely critical, and the following day he said she was not currently stable enough to be taken abroad for advanced treatment.