The interim government in Bangladesh has announced special Friday prayers across the country for former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Temples, churches, pagodas and other places of worship have been requested to hold prayers for her.
Begum Khaleda Zia is likely to be flown to London tonight or early morning tomorrow on the advice of a specialist team of doctors that was flown in to attend to her.
Four doctors from China have joined Khaleda Zia's medical board, and specialist physician Richard Belle from the United Kingdom is overseeing her treatment.
The Kingdom of Qatar has offered air ambulance services to airlift Begum Khaleda Zia. The Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) have conducted trial landings and takeoffs of helicopters at two open spaces near the private hospital in Dhaka where Khaleda Zia is being treated.
The three chiefs of Bangladesh's military services met Khaleda Zia at the hospital on Thursday.
The three-time former prime minister was admitted to a private hospital in Dhaka on 23 November after complaining of difficulty in breathing. She remains very critical.
Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus visited her and stayed at the hospital for nearly half an hour.
Her elder son and BNP's acting chairperson, Tarique Rahman, is overseeing her treatment from London.
In a social media post on Saturday morning, he wrote, "In this time of crisis, like any child, I too long for the comforting touch of my mother."
Rahman has explained his absence from the country, saying, "However, like everyone else, the ability to realise this is neither unreservedly under my sole decision-making authority nor my exclusive control. The scope for elaborating on this sensitive matter is also limited," sparking speculation about what debarred his return home.
Khaleda Zia has been given special security, as she remains critical. Bangladesh's elite Special Security Force (SSF) protection has been allotted to the ailing leader.
India has also offered help, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, "India stands ready to extend all possible support, in whatever way we can.'
