Air ambulance for Bangladesh’s ex-PM Khaleda Zia to land in Dhaka on Tuesday

An air ambulance arranged to fly Bangladesh’s critically ill former prime minister Khaleda Zia to London for medical treatment will land in Dhaka on Tuesday, aviation officials have said.

A senior official at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said on Sunday the aircraft has been allotted an 8 am landing slot on Tuesday, with a departure time of 9 pm the same day, news portal bdnews24.com reported.

According to tbsnews.net, 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.

FAI Aviation Group’s initial application had sought clearance to land on Tuesday and depart for London on Wednesday.

Zia, the 80-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson, has been receiving treatment for multiple ailments at Dhaka-based Evercare Hospital for nearly two weeks.

The three-time prime minister was originally expected to leave early Friday on an air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar, but the BNP later said the plane’s arrival was delayed due to technical issues.

A revised plan for her to depart on Sunday was also postponed as she remains too unwell for long-haul travel.

The medical board treating Zia postponed her planned travel to London for an indefinite period, her personal physician and BNP’s policy-making standing committee member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain had told reporters on Saturday.

The Qatar Embassy in Dhaka said the replacement air ambulance, a Bombardier Challenger (CL-60 series) jet, is fitted with full critical-care equipment, including ventilators, monitors, infusion pumps and oxygen systems, and is staffed by doctors, nurses and paramedics trained in in-flight intensive care.

Khaleda last travelled to London for treatment in January aboard an air ambulance from the Emir of Qatar’s personal fleet.