DHAKA: Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia is in an "extremely critical" condition, her personal physician has said.
Zia, the 80-year-old chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has been undergoing treatment at Dhaka's Evercare Hospital since November 23 for multiple health complications.
On December 11, she was placed on ventilator support to give rest to her lungs and other vital organs.
"It cannot be said that her condition has improved. She is passing through an extremely critical phase," Dr AZM Zahid said during a briefing held shortly after midnight on Saturday outside Evercare Hospital.
He also urged the nation to pray for Zia's recovery, news portal bdnews24.com reported. "If, by Allah's mercy, she can get through this critical period, we may hear something positive," Zahid said.
Her son and BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman spent more than two hours at the hospital before leaving shortly before midnight, party members said.
Both local and foreign physicians are involved in Zia's care, with her daughter-in-law, Dr Zubaida Rahman, also actively participating in the treatment process.
The BNP has previously indicated that it would prefer Zia to be taken abroad for advanced medical treatment.
However, her current physical condition does not allow for air travel, so her treatment continues in the country.