Dhaka: The air ambulance arranged for former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's medical transfer to London will come from Germany under a Qatar government facilitated arrangement.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Qatar government is renting an air ambulance, and it will come to Dhaka from Germany. Public Relations Officer of the Qatar Embassy in Dhaka, Asadur Rahman Asad, confirmed this arrangement, noting that the aircraft is expected to arrive as per recommendations from Khaleda Zia's medical team.
Initially, the former prime minister was scheduled to travel on the Emir of Qatar's special air ambulance, but a 'technical glitch' led Qatar to arrange an alternative aircraft. The Qatar government has rented a Bombardier Challenger 604 (CL60) air ambulance, operated by FAI Aviation Group, Germany's leading provider of global air-ambulance and mission-critical aviation services. The company operates a fleet of Bombardier business jets, used for both medical evacuation and VIP transport. The Challenger 604 is known for its long-range, transcontinental capability suitable for intercontinental medical flights.
Earlier, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that Khaleda Zia's planned medical transfer had been delayed because the original Qatar aircraft had not reached Dhaka due to technical issues. He mentioned that the aircraft might arrive on Saturday if the problems were resolved. Mirza Fakhrul added that if Khaleda Zia is fit to travel and the medical board approves, she would fly out on December 7 (Sunday).
Amid the developments, Zubaida Rahman, wife of acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and daughter-in-law of Khaleda Zia, arrived in Dhaka on Friday morning on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. Diplomatic activity has intensified around the evacuation as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a note verbale to the Qatar Embassy on Thursday, requesting assistance. Qatar responded positively, saying the air ambulance would be deployed once Khaleda Zia is medically cleared to travel. BNP also sent a separate letter requesting logistical support for transporting the ailing former prime minister to England.