Months after a directed by students an uprising removed a government that had stopped her from traveling outside, ailing former Bangladesh Premier Khaleda Zia has gone to London for medical care, a party source confirmed.

The (79-year-old) Zia was imprisoned for corruption in 2018 while Sheikh Hasina, her replacement and longtime rival, was in power. Zia had previously served as prime minister of the South Asian country twice.

Former Bangladesh Premier Khaleda Zia’s release from house detention followed Hasina’s overthrow and flight to neighboring India following the uprising against her dictatorial leadership in August.

Departure From Dhaka Airport

Just before midnight on Tuesday 7th of January 2025, Zahir Uddin Swapan, an official for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), announced her departure. Zia was spotted driving from her home to the Dhaka airport, where she boarded a plane that the Emir of Qatar had leased.

According to her physicians, her treatment in London is likely to take many months, according to a report by the state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Zia has had rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, and has been in decreasing health for years. She also has to stick to a wheelchair.

Since her release, Zia has hardly been seen in public, with her most recent appearance being at an Armed Forces Day event in November, where she looked weak.

Also Read: German Diplomat’s Death: Murder or Natural Causes?

Former Bangladesh Premier Khaleda Zia’s personal doctor, AZM Zahid Hossain, who is on the BNP’s standing committee, stated that she may have undergone treatment at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital in America following her stay in London.

“A (3) member of the doctor team from Johns Hopkins undergoing surgery in the year 2023 suggested a liver transplant there,” he informed reporters.

Her young son Tarique Rahman, who has been living overseas since 2008 after escaping his own series of charges for corruption and other offenses, was also adopted to London.

Since Hasina’s overthrow, Tarique has had a number of his judgments overturned, and he is expected to come back home to guide the BNP in the upcoming elections.