Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia ‘very critical’; exiled son says he cannot decide his own return

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia remains in ‘very critical’ condition in a Dhaka hospital, according to members of her party, as her family members and supporters urged citizens to pray for her good health and speedy recovery. She was admitted to the hospital on November 23 after developing a chest infection and has remained in intensive care since.

Zia, 80, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and two-time PM, has a permanent pacemaker and previously underwent stenting for her heart.

BNP’s self-exiled acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, 60, expressed gratitude towards supporters for their well wishes, “We express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for all your prayers and love for the highly respected Begum Khaleda Zia,” Rahman said in a social media post.

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Rehman, who has been living in the UK since 2008, said his return to the home country was not entirely in his control, adding that “like any child,” he longs to be near his mother at this “moment of crisis.”

“Unlike others, to make a unilateral decision in this regard is not in my hands alone nor solely within my control. The sensitivity of this matter also limits the scope for detailed explanation,” he wrote.

Rahman, the only surviving offspring of Zia, said that he is hopeful “once the current political realities reach the expected stage, my long and anxious wait to return to my homeland will finally come to an end.”

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In response to his post, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ office said the Interim government had no objections regarding his return. “There are no restrictions or objections from the government in this matter,” Yunus’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, said.

With national elections scheduled for next year, Zia’s health has taken on added political importance. The BNP has re-emerged as a central force in Bangladesh’s shifting political landscape after a student-led uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024.