Army Chief meets with Khaleda Zia

Army Chief Visits BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Inquires About Her Health

Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman visited BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence, Feroza, on Thursday night to check on her health. Arriving at around 8:30 pm, he was accompanied by his wife, according to BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan.

“The Army chief, along with his wife, came to inquire about the BNP chairperson’s condition,” Sayrul Kabir Khan informed the Daily Sun.

Retired Major General Fazle Elahi Akbar welcomed General Waker-Uz-Zaman at the residence. The Army chief reportedly expressed his prayers for Khaleda Zia's speedy recovery.

The visit lasted approximately 40 minutes. This marks the second meeting between General Waker-Uz-Zaman and Khaleda Zia, with the first taking place at a program at Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment on November 21 during Armed Forces Day celebrations.

Khaleda Zia’s Planned Trip to London for Medical Treatment

Khaleda Zia is anticipated to travel to London on January 7 for advanced medical treatment if her health permits the air journey. BNP sources stated that she would be transported via a Qatar Airways air ambulance.

A 15-member delegation, including Syeda Sharmila Rahman (wife of Khaleda’s late son Arafat Rahman Koko), several physicians, BNP leaders, her personal secretary, and two housemaids, will accompany her.

Her office has already informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the trip, providing details of her entourage and treatment plans.

Khaleda Zia, also a former prime minister, has been dealing with multiple health issues, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and complications affecting her kidney, lungs, heart, and eyes.

In October last year, three U.S. specialist doctors performed a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure to address water accumulation in her stomach and chest and manage bleeding in her liver.