After a reported long cold fight between Zia family and the military backed interim government, Khaleda suddenly had taken the decision on Sunday to go to Singapore for treatment but her 'ailment' became too egregious to board a flight last night, leading to the postponement despite having her name on the passenger list of a Singapore Airlines flight.

The government on April 25 however issued a press note saying, "The government never pressured and is not pressuring Khaleda Zia for taking overseas trips or for leaving the country."

Tight security was visible at Zia International Airport last night in anticipation of the former premier's arrival there for a hasty departure.

BNP's Assistant Office Secretary Emran Saleh Prince told The Daily Star last night that Khaleda Zia postponed her trip because her health condition was not suitable for boarding a flight but she will go to Singapore as soon as she recovers enough to travel abroad for better treatment.

Sources however said Khaleda's decision to leave the country springs from her efforts to save her younger son Arafat Rahman Coco from any harassment, and because Coco himself persuaded his mother to leave the country due to the present 'adverse situation'.

Moreover, Khaleda is reportedly disillusioned by some of the BNP senior leaders' recent vociferous opposition to her although, according to some party sources, the same leaders happen to be among the persons most benefited by the party's latest stint in state power.

Some of her close aides said she will return soon, once she leaves for Singapore, but other sources said her return might become uncertain as 'she has been facing tremendous pressure to leave the country for a long time'.

"She told us that she lost weight due to the illness and her son Coco is also very sick," said a close aide to Khaleda, who met her yesterday.

Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah, an adviser to the BNP chairperson, and who was arrested yesterday, had told reporters on Sunday, "There is still pressure on Khaleda Zia to go to any of the ASEAN countries including Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore."

Arafat Rahman Coco, who had been arrested on April 16 and was later released after questioning about allegations of corruption, his wife Sharmila Rahman, their daughters Jafia and Zahia , Khaleda's nephew Saiful Islam Duke and a domestic help were also scheduled to go to Singapore with the former prime minister.

Dr Zobaida Rahman, wife of Tarique Rahman, however did not agree to leave the country with her mother-in-law as her husband is currently in jail and because the final school exams of her daughter are very near.

In all her previous foreign trips for treatment Khaleda was accompanied by her elder daughter-in-law, who is a physician in profession.

"Madam was looking well during her meeting with the US congressmen on May 12 at the residence of her adviser Reaz Rahman," a party leader told The Daily Star last night adding that treatment is not really the reason why Khaleda is set to leave the country.

Sources said Saeed Iskandar, younger brother of Khaleda Zia, who flew to London last night, will meet his sister in Singapore when she gets there.

Hearing about Khaleda's decision to go to Singapore, her relatives and some party leaders gathered at her cantonment residence to meet her last night. Among others Tarique Rahman's in-laws, BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan, and Emran Saleh Prince met the former premier.

Khaleda Zia reportedly has been in a virtual 'house arrest' since the declaration of emergency, she was not even allowed to visit the national memorial on Independence Day this year. Later law enforcers requested her not to go to her party office and her telephone line was also disconnected.

Earlier the media reported that Khaleda faced pressure from the government to go into an exile in Saudi Arabia but the country's government did not issue her a visa as she did not project her willingness to leave home.

Law Adviser Mainul Hosein later told reporters that some leaders of BNP and Awami League had suggested the government to send the two party chiefs abroad to expedite the government's reform initiatives.

On April 19 a BNP leader filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the reported confinement of Khaleda Zia to her house and sought a directive from the court so she could not be sent into exile.