Shawdesh Desk:

Bangladesh High Commission in London, UK has described as ‘incorrect’ some media reports that said the mission issued ‘health certificate’ regarding COVID-19 to Bangladesh bound passengers.

No such ‘health certificate’ has been issued from the Bangladesh high commission to any passenger rather it only attest to personal ‘health declaration form’ of the travel intending passengers to Bangladesh amid the pandemic, a press release issued by the mission said on Saturday.

It said the process of attesting to ‘health declaration form’ has still been continuing while passengers are traveling with these attested forms through different airlines including national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines like before.

The London high commission has been attesting to health-related declaration of Bangladesh bound British citizens and British-Bangladesh duel citizens with NVR (no visa required) since March last as per the directives of concern authority of Bangladesh, said the mission.

The passengers had traveled to Bangladesh with these ‘attested health declaration forms’ on boarding different airlines including Biman, Qatar Airways and Emirates Airways in last March and June-July while the forms were widely accepted by both the airlines and immigration authority at Dhaka airport.

The Bangladesh London Mission sees a necessity to explain the issue as some media reports have came into its observation that Qatar Airways did not issue boarding passes to some Bangladeshi bound passengers at Heathrow airport on Thursday denying the acceptance of their personal ‘health declaration form’ attested by the high commission.

The release said the high commission has already inquired into the matter with local Qatar Airways office in London and also been collecting information from other airlines whether they adopted any new health guidelines regarding the COVID-19.

The high commission will publish the information at their website and facebook page upon receiving relevant information regarding the issue, said the release.

The mission also requested all to check respective airlines travel advisories before purchasing tickets amid the pandemic.

Terming the Thursday’s episode as “a sporadic incident”, the high commission said it’s neither related to acceptance of the ‘personal health declaration form’, attached by the high commission nor continuation of air connectivity between Bangladesh and the UK.

The Bangladesh high commission also requested all not to be misled regarding the issue.

According to a circular, issued by Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) on June 11 last, “foreign national coming to Bangladesh with valid visas will require to produce a medical certificate (with English translation) to be obtained within 72 hours of travel, indicating that he/she is ‘COVID-19 Negative’”.

The individual need to submit these certificates on arrival at the entry point (airport/seaport/land port) in Bangladesh, it said.