Dhaka, Nov. 29 -- Former Bangladesh prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was shifted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of Dhaka's Evercare Hospital on Thursday as her condition deteriorated, deepening national anxiety and reviving a politically explosive question long echoed by her party: was she ever subjected to "slow poisoning" during her incarceration?

The 80-year-old three-time prime minister, already battling multiple chronic ailments, was admitted to the hospital late Sunday after developing a severe chest infection that affected both her heart and lungs.

A medical board-comprising specialists from Bangladesh and abroad-is supervising her treatment, with senior BNP leaders describing her condition as "extremely critical."...