Bangladesh ex-PM Khaleda Zia's UK evacuation faces fresh delay as air ambulance withdraws Dhaka landing request

Dhaka: Plans to airlift Bangladesh's ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia to London for advanced treatment suffered a fresh setback on Monday after the German air ambulance hired for her travel sought cancellation of its approved Tuesday's landing slot in Dhaka, officials said.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on Sunday cleared the aircraft, arranged by the Qatar government, to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday following its request.

However, the operator, Germany-based FAI Aviation Group, on Monday requested that the slot be withdrawn, news portal bdnews24.com reported, quoting a senior airport official.

"No revised application has been received so far," the official said.

CAAB sources confirmed that FAI Aviation Group formally approached authorities through a coordinating agency to cancel its earlier slot request, tbsnews.net reported.

The aviation authority had earlier cleared the aircraft to land at 8:00 am on Tuesday and depart at around 9:00 pm the same day, according to the operator's initial request submitted on Sunday.

The Qatar government had arranged the aircraft, renting it from the FAI Aviation Group, after opting for a replacement air ambulance to conduct the long-range medical evacuation.

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.

This is the third postponement of the 80-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson's planned departure to London for advanced medical care.

Zia has been undergoing treatment at Dhaka's Evercare Hospital since November 23 for multiple ailments.

Her personal physician AZM Zahid Hossain on Thursday last week had said that Zia's medical board has decided to send her to the UK for advanced treatment.

She will be taken to London, where her elder son and acting BNP chief Tarique Rahman lives, via the Qatar Royal Air Ambulance on late Thursday night or early Friday, he had told reporters.

However, the arrival of the air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar was delayed due to “technical issues”, deferring her departure to Sunday.

On Saturday, Hossain, who is also BNP's policy-making standing committee member, told reporters that the medical board has postponed Zia's planned travel to London for an indefinite period as she remains too unwell for long-haul travel.

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