An air ambulance arranged to fly Bangladesh’s critically ill former prime minister Khaleda Zia to London for treatment will land in Dhaka on Tuesday, aviation officials said.
A senior official at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said 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 arranged the aircraft, renting it from Germany-based FAI Aviation Group after opting for a replacement air ambulance for 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 and three-time prime minister, has been receiving treatment for multiple ailments at Dhaka-based Evercare Hospital for nearly two weeks. She was originally expected to leave early Friday on an air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar, but the BNP 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 remained too unwell for long-haul travel.
The medical board treating Zia postponed her planned travel to London indefinitely, her personal physician and BNP policy-making standing committee member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain told reporters.
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.
