Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s health condition has now become “extremely critical.” The 80-year-old former premier was admitted to a hospital on Sunday night when she developed a chest infection that has affected both her heart and lungs.
“Last night, the doctors said that her physical condition is extremely critical,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency.
Zia, the wife of slain Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman, has been suffering from multiple health complications, including liver and kidney issues, diabetes, arthritis, and eye-related problems. Her son and BNP acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, has been residing in London since 2008.
The BNP organised a special prayers meet for the speedy recovery of the party’s chairperson.
“We have sought prayers from the people across the country after Jummah prayers for the recovery of the ‘Mother of Democracy’, Begum Khaleda Zia. We pray that she may recover and return to the people to get the opportunity to work for the country,”- Mirza Fakhrul added
Her other son, Arafat Rahman, had died of cardiac arrest in 2015.
BNP has emerged as the front-runner in Bangladesh’s changed political landscape after a student-led violent street protest toppled then–Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024.
Earlier, Zia had returned to the country from London on May 6 after spending four months undergoing advanced medical treatment for all her health issues.
Also Read: Former Union Minister Shriprakash Jaiswal passes away at 81
