Air ambulance for Khaleda Zia scheduled to land at 8:20am Tuesday
It has been granted landing permission at 8:20am and is expected to depart Dhaka at around 9pm the same day as per the given schedule.
An air ambulance arranged to transfer ailing former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to London is scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka at 8:20am on Tuesday (9 December), according to officials at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
A high official of CAAB confirmed to The Business Standard that the flight has been granted landing permission at 8:20am and is expected to depart Dhaka at around 9pm the same day as per the given schedule.
However, the schedule remains subject to change depending on the assessment and preparedness of Khaleda Zia's medical team, the official said.
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The Qatar government has arranged the aircraft, renting it from the Germany-based FAI Aviation Group after opting for a replacement air ambulance to conduct the long-range medical evacuation.
The aircraft assigned to the mission is a Bombardier Challenger 604 (CL60), a business jet widely used for long-distance medical evacuation due to its extended range, advanced medical configuration and high operational reliability.
Khaleda Zia was initially expected to fly to London on 5 December, but the delayed arrival of an air ambulance pushed back the schedule.
The former prime minister has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and kidney, lung, heart and eye problems.
On 23 November, Khaleda left her Gulshan residence, Firoza, for Evercare Hospital at around 7:30pm and has been receiving treatment there since then.
Earlier, on 8 January this year, Khaleda travelled to London. Upon arrival, she was admitted to the London Clinic, a private hospital, where she remained under the care of renowned specialists Prof Patrick Kennedy and Prof Jennifer Cross for 17 days.
From 25 January, she received treatment and stayed at the London residence of her eldest son Tarique. The BNP chief then returned to Dhaka on 6 May after four months in the UK.
