Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed "deep concern" over the health of former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia and said that India is ready to "extend all possible support in whatever way we can".
PM Modi's remarks came just hours after Zia's party leaders reportedly said that she is "extremely unwell" and that the former Bangladesh prime minister has been placed on ventilation.
In a post on X, the PM wrote, “Deeply concerned to learn about the health of Begum Khaleda Zia, who has contributed to Bangladesh’s public life for many years. Our sincere prayers and best wishes for her speedy recovery. India stands ready to extend all possible support, in whatever way we can.”
Khaleda Zia 'extremely unwell'
Khaleda Zia, the 80-year-old chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was admitted to a private hospital on November 23 after she developed a chest infection, affecting both her heart and lungs.
Four days later, the three-time Bangladeshi prime minister was shifted to the coronary care unit following the worsening of several of her health complications.
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{{/usCountry}}Four days later, the three-time Bangladeshi prime minister was shifted to the coronary care unit following the worsening of several of her health complications.
ALSO READ | Sheikh Hasina in exile in India, Khaleda Zia ‘critical’ at Dhaka hospital, what happens next in Bangladesh?
{{/usCountry}}A local news portal quoted BNP Vice-chairman Advocate Ahmed Aazam Khan as saying that Zia's condition had deteriorated and that she was put on ventilation.
"She is in a very critical condition. There is nothing more to do except seek prayers from the whole nation," he told reporters outside Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also confirmed that Zia remains in a critical condition as she continues undergoing treatment, with both local and international medical specialists looking after her health, news agency PTI reported.
"She is extremely unwell. The entire nation is praying 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 trying their best," Alamgir was quoted as saying by tbsnews.net.
Zia has been suffering from multiple other health problems, including liver and kidney issues, diabetes, arthritis, and eye-related illnesses.
Earlier this year, Zia returned to Bangladesh from London after having spent four months there for advanced medical treatment.
Her only son and BNP's acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, has been living in London since 2008, while her other son, Arafat Rahman, died of a cardiac arrest this year.
On Sunday, Tarique indicated that uncertainty looms over his return even as his mother is in a critical condition in Dhaka. In a post on Facebook, he wrote that his return to Bangladesh was "not entirely" in his control, sparking rumours over political or legal hurdles.