The air ambulance arranged for former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's medical transfer to London will fly from Germany, thanks to a Qatar government arrangement.
"The Qatari government is renting an air ambulance, which will arrive in Dhaka from Germany." Asadur Rahman Asad, the Public Relations Officer at the Qatar Embassy in Dhaka, told BSS on Friday evening.
He stated that the aircraft is expected to arrive based on the medical team's recommendations for Khaleda Zia.
Initially, the former prime minister was scheduled to travel on the Emir of Qatar's special air ambulance, but a "technical glitch" forced Qatar to arrange an alternate aircraft, he explained.
The Qatari government 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 maintains a fleet of Bombardier business jets that are used for both medical evacuation and VIP transport.
The Challenger 604 is known for its long-range, transcontinental capability, which makes it ideal for intercontinental medical flights.
Earlier on Friday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that Khaleda Zia's planned medical transfer had been delayed due to technical difficulties with the original Qatar aircraft.
He said the aircraft could arrive on Saturday if the problems were resolved.
"If Madam (Khaleda) is fit to travel and the medical board approves, Insha Allah, she will fly out on Sunday, December 7," he told reporters.
Amid the developments, Zubaida Rahman, wife of acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and Khaleda Zia's daughter-in-law, arrived in Dhaka on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight on Friday morning.
Diplomatic activity has increased in the aftermath of the evacuation, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sending a verbal note to the Qatar Embassy on Thursday requesting assistance.
Qatar responded positively, stating that the air ambulance would be dispatched once Khaleda Zia received medical clearance to travel.
The BNP also sent a separate letter requesting logistical assistance in transporting the ailing former prime minister to England.
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