Dhaka, Dec. 6 -- The day began with confident plans to airlift Khaleda Zia to London for advanced treatment on a Qatari air ambulance. By nightfall, the question was no longer when the BNP chairperson would fly, but whether she could fly at all.

The delay was first put down to a "mechanical fault" with the special air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar. But by the end of the day, that explanation gave way to a more sobering admission from inside her party: her condition had deteriorated.

BNP leaders say she will only be flown out if her health improves enough for the medical board to clear her for a long-haul flight. The air ambulance will be called in only after doctors decide her body can withstand the strain of hours in the air....