Critical Condition: Ex-Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia in ICU, son Tarique Rahman collects nomination papers

Speaking to the media, Dr Zahid said Zia is currently going through a highly challenging phase of her treatment.

“Her condition is extremely complex, and she is now passing through a critical time. If, by the grace of Almighty Allah and the tireless efforts of doctors, she can overcome this crisis, then we may see some positive outcome,” he was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune.

The remarks came shortly after Zia’s son, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, visited Evercare Hospital for the second time.

Dr Zahid, who is also a member of the BNP Standing Committee, said Khaleda Zia was initially admitted to a cabin but was later shifted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and subsequently to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) following a sharp deterioration in her condition. She is currently receiving round-the-clock treatment under close medical supervision.

He added that a medical board comprising specialist physicians from Bangladesh, as well as experts from the United Kingdom and the United States, is overseeing her treatment.

“The board sits regularly—usually around 10 pm—to review her condition and determine the next course of treatment,” he told the newspaper.

Meanwhile, Tarique Rahman, who recently returned to Bangladesh after 17 years in exile, moved to enter electoral politics ahead of the upcoming national election. On his behalf, BNP Chairperson’s Private Secretary ABM Abdur Sattar collected a nomination form on Sunday from the office of Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury at around 11:10 am, BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan told Dhaka Tribune.

Khaleda Zia–Sheikh Hasina rivalry

The decades-long political rivalry between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina traces its roots to the assassination of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family during the 1975 military coup. In the aftermath, Ziaur Rahman—then deputy army chief—rose to power and later founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Following Ziaur Rahman’s assassination in 1981, Khaleda Zia assumed leadership of the BNP, setting the stage for one of South Asia’s most enduring and bitter political rivalries with Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, amid intense nationwide protests against her government during the July–August uprising.