Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia’s Health Sees Sudden Deterioration: Report

In a major blow for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) ahead of the April 2026 general elections in Bangladesh, its chairperson and the country’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia is critically ill, with the party describing her condition as “extremely unwell”.

According to BNP leaders, the health condition of Khaleda Zia has deteriorated over the past few day, the 80-year-old leader has been placed on ventilation, with a team of local and international medical specialists overseeing her treatment at private hospital in Bangladesh capital Dhaka.

“Her condition has deteriorated, and 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,” BNP Vice-Chairman Advocate Ahmed Aazam Khan told reporters outside Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital where Zia is admitted.