Air ambulance for Khaleda to reach Dhaka on Tuesday

A German aviation company has sought permission from Bangladeshi authorities to send an air ambulance, arranged by the Qatari government, to Dhaka on Tuesday, and transport ailing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on the aircraft to London the following day.

On Saturday, Germany’s FAI Aviation Group submitted an application in this regard through a third party, said officials at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

CAAB has forwarded the application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for approval, an official said.

Group Captain SM Ragib Samad, executive director of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, said that he has heard the matter.

Qatar has rented the air ambulance – a Canada-made Bombardier Challenger 604 (CL60) – from Germany’s FAI Aviation Group.

Previously, Qatari government was set to send an air ambulance on Thursday night, but it abruptly suffered a technical glitch, prompting the Middle East country to settle for a rented aircraft.