UNB

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has expressed his gratitude to the Emir of Qatar for providing the royal air ambulance and logistical support to transport his ailing mother Khaleda Zia to London for advanced treatment, reports UNB.

“I am deeply grateful to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, for graciously providing transportation and logistics for my mother, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Begum Khaleda Zia,” he said in a post on his verified Facebook page early on Friday.

On behalf of his family and the people of Bangladesh, the BNP leader also extend heartfelt thanks to the Emir of Qatar for the support.

“We look forward to fostering lasting, multifaceted ties between Bangladesh and Qatar,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed gratitude to Qatar and the UK governments for facilitating the treatment of Begum Zia abroad.

“We convey our gratitude to the Qatar government. They provided the air ambulance without taking any rent for taking Khaleda Zia to London. We also thank the British government for facilitating her treatment there,” he said.

Fakhrul said this while unveiling the cover of a book titled “Rajbandir Jabanbandi” which chronicles the depositions given in court by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in ‘false’ cases’ at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office on Thursday.

Khaleda flew to London with state honour after being freed and thousands of people saw her off and she did not face any hindrance on her way to London, he said.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was admitted to The London Clinic in the United Kingdom on Wednesday for advanced treatment.

She left Dhaka for London on Tuesday night aboard a special air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar.

Her eldest son Tarique Rahman, accompanied by his wife Zubaida Rahman, greeted his mother with open arms at the Heathrow Airport.

Khaleda’s doctors have been advocating for her treatment abroad ever since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in late 2021.

Despite the severity of her condition, she was denied permission to travel for treatment by the ousted Awami League government, citing legal hurdles related to her convictions in two cases.

On August 6, 2024, a day after the fall of the Awami League government, Khaleda was fully freed by an order from President Mohammed Shahabuddin, paving the way for her overseas treatment.

Khaleda Zia, a three-time former Prime Minister, has been battling multiple health issues, including liver cirrhosis, diabetes, arthritis, and complications involving her kidneys, lungs, heart and eyes.