Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming has said some technical issues were obstructing the return of 171 Bangladeshis from Hubei province of China.
Bangladesh brought back 312 of its nationals from China on February 1 and the remaining Bangladeshis have registered to return home.
“I think permission is not a problem [but] there are some technical issues,” Jiming said while talking to diplomatic correspondents at DCAB Talk at National Press Club on Monday.
“Bangladesh Airlines refuse to travel to China to bring back the Bangladeshis because if they did so, they will be banned by other countries. They will have to stop their business,” the ambassador noted.
He said China is also trying to offer some other alternatives, for example, some commercial flights and so on.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said the government exploring options to bring back Bangladeshis from Hubei province but noted that it depended on the China’s permission.
The number of reported new cases of coronavirus in China’s Hubei province rose on Monday after two days of falls, as authorities imposed tough new restrictions on movement to prevent the spread of the disease which has now killed more than 1,700 people.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a global threat potentially worse than terrorism as deaths from the coronavirus keeps surging every day.
'All China, Singapore returnees don’t need hospital isolation'
Meanwhile, Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has said there is no need to keep all the China and Singapore returnees in hospital quarantine.
IEDCR Director Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora said this at a press conference at IEDCR auditorium in Dhaka on Monday, reports UNB.
“We see pressure from people and departments concerned to keep China and Singapore-returnees in hospital isolation. If someone comes from these countries does not mean that he or she is COVID19 infected,” she said.
A misconception has been created among people over China and Singapore returnees, she said.
“COVID-19 has not broken out in all provinces of China. So, there is no need to keep all China or Singapore-returnees in hospital quarantine,” she said.
Drawing attention to the administration outside Dhaka, Dr Meerjady said: “We will keep people in quarantine upon suggestions from the Health Directorate only when the returnee has any symptom.”
She urged district and upazila officials not to take any decision over COVID-19 infection but to cooperate with and inform the local health authorities in this regard.
“We are only keeping China and Singapore returnees suffering from fever and cough isolated, testing them and suggesting others to stay in self-quarantine,” she added.
Over 66 Bangladeshis were tested till Monday, said the IEDCR director, adding, that nobody was found infected with COVID 19 virus.