The air ambulance scheduled for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s advanced treatment in London will no longer be arriving in Dhaka on Tuesday. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh confirmed that the operator had applied for the withdrawal of slot permission a few hours before the scheduled time.
A senior official from Bebichok said that Germany’s FAI Aviation Group has sent a formal request to cancel the previous approval through the local coordinator. The application has been sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Earlier, based on the initial application submitted on Sunday, permission was granted to land in Dhaka at 8 am on Tuesday and take off for London at 9 pm. The Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft, leased with the assistance of the Qatari government, is used for long-distance medical evacuation.
Meanwhile, the postponement of Khaleda Zia’s foreign trip has created new uncertainty about her status. She has been admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital since November 23. She was taken to the CCU on November 27 after her physical condition deteriorated. Khaleda Zia, who is suffering from multiple complex diseases including liver cirrhosis, is currently undergoing treatment in critical condition under the supervision of a medical board comprising local and foreign experts.
Doctors said that no decision can be made regarding his transfer abroad without the final approval of the board. As a result, his trip to London has been postponed for the time being.