BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is in a highly critical condition, senior party leaders confirmed on Monday.
BNP Vice Chairman Advocate Ahmed Azam Khan told reporters that her condition has deteriorated significantly. “Whether it is CCU to ICU or ICU to ventilation—whatever we call it—Madam is in a very critical condition. There is nothing more to say beyond this. We only seek prayers from the nation for her,” he said.
Earlier, Khaleda Zia’s former press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan Sohail wrote in a brief Facebook post that she was receiving ventilator support in the ICU. The post quickly spread, heightening concern among party leaders and supporters.
When contacted, BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan said that all decisions regarding the BNP chairperson’s medical care are being made solely by her doctors. “We will share information the moment the physicians provide an official update. Until then, we request the media not to publish information from any other source,” he said.
Shayrul added that the media has been urged to rely only on verified updates regarding her health. “We request that no statements be used except from her personal physician and standing committee member Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain,” he said, calling on all to refrain from spreading rumours or misleading information.
Khaleda Zia, 79, has long suffered from various complications, including severe liver disease and declining kidney function. She was admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on 23 November. Her condition has continued to deteriorate under close medical supervision, deepening concerns within the party.
BNP leaders and activists from across the country have been gathering outside the hospital daily as uncertainty over her health grows.
