Staff Reporter :
BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia left London’s Heathrow Airport on Monday to return to Dhaka on a special air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar, as all arrangements for her homecoming have been finalized.
According to her personal physician Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, the BNP chief departed from the residence of her elder son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman at around 12:50 pm GMT. Tarique Rahman was personally driving his mother to Heathrow Airport and saw her off there.
Dr. Zahid, who is accompanying Khaleda Zia on the flight, before the departure stated that she will leave Heathrow at 4:10 pm London time (10:10 pm Bangladesh time) aboard the special air ambulance sent by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The flight is expected to land at Hamad International Airport in Doha at 2:30 am local time.
Khaleda Zia will be accompanied by her daughters-in-law – Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of Tarique Rahman, and Syeda Shamila Rahman, wife of the late Arafat Rahman Koko – along with other entourage members, including her medical team.
“She is expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 10:00 am today (Tuesday),” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told journalists. “We hope everything will proceed smoothly and she reaches Dhaka on schedule.”
Fakhrul urged BNP leaders and activists not to create traffic congestion while welcoming their leader, especially as SSC examinations are scheduled for the same day. He also requested the cooperation of law enforcement and party supporters to ensure no public inconvenience arises during the reception.
Meanwhile, BNP has directed its front bodies like Chhatra Dal, Juba Dal, Sechwasebak Dal, Sramik Dal and different units of the party to stand besides stipulated areas in the streets on Khaleda’s way home.
Khaleda Zia had flown to London on January 8 in the same special air ambulance. She was admitted to the London Clinic, a private medical facility, where she received treatment from renowned specialists Professor Patrick Kennedy and Professor Jennifer Cross for 17 days.
Since January 25, she has been under their continued care at Tarique Rahman’s residence.
The BNP has completed extensive preparations to welcome Khaleda Zia on her journey from the airport to her Gulshan residence, ‘Firoza’.
As she will travel via the Kakoli route, Mirza Fakhrul advised well-wishers to stand on the footpaths, not on the roads, and greet her while holding national and party flags. He also encouraged the general public to use the elevated expressway from the airport to Kakoli to help minimize traffic disruption.
Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan residence at House 1, Road 80 has been fully prepared to receive her.
Zubaida’s Return After 17 Years: Dr Zubaida Rahman, along with Tarique Rahman and their daughter Zaima Rahman, has been living in London since 2008. Her return to Bangladesh marks the end of a 17-year exile.
She plans to stay at her father’s residence – Mahbub Bhaban – on Road 5 in Dhanmondi, which has also been prepared to ensure her comfort and security. Although the house was already well-maintained, additional arrangements have been made in anticipation of her stay.
