• Khaleda Zia's health condition has deteriorated; she is in intensive care due to a lung infection.
• The 80-year-old former prime minister has multiple health complications and is under close medical supervision.
• Supporters and party members are urging the public to pray for her speedy recovery.
• Her eldest son, Tarique Rahman, expressed gratitude for public support and prayers.
• Zia has vowed to campaign in the upcoming elections, asserting her role as a vital political figure.

Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is currently in “extremely critical” condition in the Intensive Care Unit. She was admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on November 23, suffering from a severe lung infection that has significantly affected her overall health, according to reports from her party members and her personal physician, Dr. A Z M Zahid Hossein. The 80-year-old leader’s health complications include heart problems, kidney and liver issues, diabetes, and arthritis, and she has a permanent pacemaker, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Al Jazeera.

The deteriorating state of Zia's health has prompted calls for prayers from her family and party members alike. BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir reported that doctors indicated her condition was “very critical,” leading to a surge of visitors, including senior party figures and supporters, to the hospital to get updates. Tarique Rahman, Zia’s eldest son, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the public's support via social media, emphasizing the emotional strain of being unable to be by her side during this crisis, as reported by South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.

In light of the approaching national elections, Zia’s health is viewed as crucial not only for her party, the BNP, but also for the current political climate in Bangladesh. An air ambulance has been put on standby for potential evacuation should her condition allow for it, and her family continues to emphasize the importance of her recovery. During a recent statement, interim leader Muhammad Yunus addressed Zia’s significance as a source of inspiration in a “transitional period” for the nation, highlighting her pivotal role in Bangladeshi politics, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Al Jazeera.