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The health condition of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, now undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital, has not shown any significant improvement, according to her medical board members and senior party leaders.
Doctors say the former prime minister is still suffering from pneumonia, which has caused infections in both her heart and lungs.
They said they are trying their utmost to bring the infections under control.
A member of the medical board, wishing to remain unnamed, said excess fluid has built up in her body, requiring regular dialysis.
She is also being given the oxygen support needed to help her breathe more comfortably.
Despite her critical condition, he said Khaleda Zia remains responsive, can move her hands and feet slightly, and is able to speak a few words at times.
BNP Joint Secretary General Khairul Kabir Khokon said their party chairperson’s condition is stable, with no marked improvement or deterioration.
“I went to the fourth floor of the hospital and spoke to her doctors. They told me it is still not possible to say when her condition might improve, but they remain hopeful. They said they are trying their best, and she may improve — now we just have to wait and see,” he told reporters after meeting the medical team.
BNP leaders and family members said if her condition improves, she may again be taken abroad for advanced treatment. Preparations have already begun, though BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday evening that she is still not medically fit to travel.
Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said the medical board treating Khaleda Zia believes she may need treatment abroad, but her present condition does not allow travel.
He said distinguished doctors from Bangladesh, as well as specialist physicians from Johns Hopkins in the United States and the London Clinic in the UK, are overseeing her treatment. The full medical board held a detailed meeting for nearly two and a half hours on Friday night.
“They discussed her treatment in depth and shared their views on the next steps. The board said she may need to be taken abroad, but in her current condition it is not possible. She is not fit for overseas travel right now,” Fakhrul said.
Once her condition stabilises, he said the medical board will consider whether she can travel abroad.
Fakhrul also said preparations for possible overseas treatment are already underway.
“Visa procedures, communication with countries where treatment may be possible, and other formalities have been discussed. These preparations are progressing so that, if the need arises and she becomes fit to fly, a quick decision can be made,” he said.
Khaleda Zia has been under intensive monitoring since she was admitted to Evercare Hospital on 23 November with severe infections in her heart and lungs. She was first kept in a cabin but was later moved to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) as her condition worsened. Members of the medical board have been working round the clock, closely observing her vital signs.
Another medical board member told UNB that the BNP Chairperson’s condition remains complicated.
“She is on dialysis due to excess fluid in her body. The main reason is that her mitral valve has become stiff, preventing the heart from pumping blood properly. Some blood is leaking back through the valve, which raises the risk of right-side heart failure,” he said.
He also said a severe infection has put her body under extreme stress, while acute pancreatitis has further worsened her condition.
BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan said both local and foreign doctors are providing all necessary treatment. “Specialist doctors from abroad are also involved. Whatever treatment she needs is being given,” he said.
Mahdi Amin, adviser to BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday that the Zia family is planning to take Khaleda Zia to London for advanced treatment once her condition improves even slightly.
He said Tarique Rahman and his wife have already contacted the London hospital and the specialist doctors under whose care she stayed for four months earlier this year, when she showed significant improvement.
“Arrangements are being made to organise a specially equipped, state-of-the-art air ambulance for that purpose,” Mahdi wrote.
Khaleda’s former press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan also wrote on Facebook that her condition has not improved noticeably. He said the family is considering taking her to London, Singapore or even China, depending on the medical board’s approval.
Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna, who visited the hospital on Saturday, said preparations are underway to take her to Singapore or Europe, but she is “not in a condition to fly yet”.
As large numbers of people have continued gathering around the hospital, Mirza Fakhrul and other senior BNP leaders have urged the public not to crowd the area. They said the overwhelming number of visitors has made hospital staff and doctors uneasy, affecting the treatment of Khaleda Zia as well as other patients.
Apart from BNP leaders, several other political party leaders also visited Evercare Hospital on Saturday to inquire about her health. Among them were Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Muhammad Mamunul Haque, NCP Senior Joint Member-Secretary Dr Tasnim Jara, Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari and Chief Organiser (South) Hasnat Abdullah.
Speaking to reporters, they urged the people of the country to pray for Khaleda Zia’s speedy recovery.
Hasnat Abdullah blamed the former prime minister’s declining health on inadequate medical care during her imprisonment. He alleged that she had been denied proper treatment in jail, which led to the gradual deterioration of her condition.
He said people across the country, irrespective of political views, were praying for her recovery.
Meanwhile, prayers continue nationwide for the former prime minister’s health. Since Friday, people from different walks of life have been posting on social media expressing deep concern and seeking divine blessings for her quick healing.