New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed concerns over the deteriorating health of former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia and prayed for her speedy recovery. The prime minister stated that India is prepared to give Bangladesh all the help it needs in a post on the microblogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Deeply concerned to learn about the health of Begum Khaleda Zia, who has contributed to Bangladesh’s public life for many years," PM Modi said. "Our sincere prayers and best wishes for her speedy recovery. India stands ready to extend all possible support, in whatever way we can."
80-year-old Zia, who is the chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is admitted to a private hospital in Dhaka after a chest infection that affected her lungs and heart. Her condition is "extremely critical," according to BNP leaders, and she has been placed on a ventilator.
"She is in a very critical condition. Outside the Evercare Hospital, where Zia is being admitted, BNP Vice-Chairman Advocate Ahmed Aazam Khan declared, "There is nothing more to do except seek prayers from the whole nation."
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also confirmed that Zia's health is deteriorating, urging the Bangladeshi nationals to pray for her recovery. "She is seriously ill, and our doctors are making every possible effort. Local and foreign specialists are involved in her treatment. They are making every effort, according to Alamgir.
Zia, the wife of slain Bangladesh president Ziaur Rahman, has been suffering from multiple other health complications, including liver and kidney issues, diabetes, arthritis, and eye-related illnesses. Zia returned to the nation earlier this year on May 6 after receiving advanced medical treatment in London for four months.
Tarique Rahman, her only son and the acting chairman of the BNP, moved to London in 2008. In 2025, Arafat Rahman, her other son, passed away from a cardiac arrest. BNP has re-emerged as the frontrunner in Bangladesh's changed political landscape after a student-led violent street protest toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024.
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