Bangladesh's ex-PM Khaleda Zia's son readies return amid her deteriorating health, says party leader

Dhaka: Bangladesh's ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman, who has been living in self-exile in London for over a decade, is preparing to return home soon, a senior leader of her party has said.

The development comes as the 80-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson remains in a critical condition and has been placed on ventilation.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters late Monday that the party’s acting chairman Rahman “will return to Bangladesh soon”.

His remarks followed a meeting of the BNP’s top decision-making body, which also discussed the current political situation and strategies for the upcoming election campaign, The Daily Star reported on Tuesday.

BNP has re-emerged as the frontrunner 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 According to BNP leaders, Tarique, who has been in London since 2008, is awaiting the issuance of a new Bangladeshi passport, as he is unwilling to use a one-time travel pass offered by the interim government.

At a press conference on Monday, Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said Rahman is not registered as a voter in Bangladesh but may do so if permitted by the EC.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened around Zia, who is undergoing treatment at Dhaka's Evercare Hospital.

Police erected a barricade at the hospital's main gate around 2:00 am on Tuesday, and hospital sources said more than two dozen police personnel were deployed to ensure the movement of patients and reinforce the former prime minister's security, according to The Daily Star report.

Four members of the Special Security Force (SSF) visited the hospital from midnight and inspected various sections of the building for nearly three hours.

The interim government on Monday declared Zia a “very, very important person”, enabling SSF deployment for her protection.

The BNP chief is currently staying in a cabin on the fourth floor, and hospital officials said surrounding cabins have been vacated due to security protocols.

She was admitted to the private hospital on November 23 after being diagnosed with infections affecting her heart and lungs.

Four days later, the three-time prime minister was shifted to the coronary care unit after several of her health complications worsened.

Her condition deteriorated further, and she was placed on ventilation on Sunday night, BNP Vice-Chairman Advocate Ahmed Aazam Khan said on Monday.

"She is in a very critical condition. There is nothing more to do except seek prayers from the whole nation," he told reporters outside the hospital.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also confirmed that Zia remains in a critical condition as she continues to receive treatment at the hospital in Dhaka, with both local and international medical specialists involved in her care.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday voiced deep concern over Zia's health and offered all possible support.