The civil aviation authorities have made Covid-19 negative certificates compulsory for international flights coming to Bangladesh, aiming to control the second wave of Covid-19.
Considering persistent risks of Covid-19 transmission, no scheduled international commercial passenger flights will be allowed to land at any airport in Bangladesh without Covid-19 negative certificates, effective from Saturday, December 5, until further notice.
This fresh instruction was issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on November 30.
The notice was signed by Group Captain Chy M Zia Ul Kabir, CAAB member (flight standards and regulations).
11 instructions for the inbound international flights
1. With effect from December 5, 2020 until further notice, scheduled international passenger flights of Bahrain, China, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Turkey, UAE and UK may be operated to/from Bangladesh as per the permit issued to the airlines concerned by the CAAB.
2. Except scheduled passenger flights from the countries listed in Paragraph 1, all other flights shall be conducted following the usual procedure. Humanitarian relief (arranged/offered by state to state), repatriation, citizen evacuation, and diplomatic flight requests shall be made to the CAAB through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.
3. Physical distancing of personnel on duty at the airport and disinfection procedure for passengers, crew, aircrafts and others shall be complied by all concerned as per the latest instruction/directives published by CAAB.
4. Passengers intending to travel abroad from Bangladesh shall possess necessary travel documents required by the authorities concerned in Bangladesh and the respective country of destination or the respective airlines. When Covid-19 negative certificate is mandatory to travel to any country, the passengers shall obtain the certificate from the government-authorized test facilities or hospitals. Airlines shall inform/guide their passengers about the required documents/procedures well before the departure to avoid inconveniences at the airport.
Also Read - APIS to be set up at Dhaka airport to get passenger info in advance
5. All passengers coming to Bangladesh shall mandatorily possess “PCR based Covid-19 negative certificate” obtained within 72 hours of the flight time and show it on-arrival at the airport. If no Covid-19 symptoms are found on-arrival health check, he/she shall have to complete a 14 days home quarantine. However, if any Covid-19 symptoms are detected/observed, be/she shall be sent to a government authorized hospital for further checks or kept in an isolation centre depending on the nature/intensity of the symptoms.
6. Bangladeshi workers bearing a card issued by the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training and returning from a country where PCR test facilities are inadequate, they are entitled to carry and show any alternate test certificate, such as antigen test or other acceptable Covid-19 test certificate.
7. Diplomats of foreign missions in Bangladesh and their recognized family members shall have to posses “PCR based Covid-19 negative certificate” obtained within 72 hours of the flight time and show it on-arrival at the airport. Even if no Covid-19 symptoms are found on-arrival health check, he/she shall have to complete a 14 days home quarantine. But, if any Covid-19 symptoms are detected/observed, he/she shall have to go to a hospital for further checks.
8. Foreign investors or entrepreneurs coming to Bangladesh shall also posses and submit “PCR based Covis-19 negative certificate” obtained within 72 hours of the flight time and show it on-arrival at the airport. If no Covid-19 symptoms are found on-arrival health check and they intend to stay in Bangladesh for less than 14 days, he/she may be allowed to leave the airport. But, if any Covid-19 symptoms are detected/observed, he/she shall be sent to a government authorized hospital for further checks or kept in an isolation centre depending on the nature/intensity of the symptoms.
9. Children below the age of 10 years is exempted from the provisions of Paragraphs-4 to 8.
10. Any condition and instruction, in regard to air travel, imposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bangladesh and any other concerned authority of Bangladesh time to time, shall be applicable.
11. Previous circulars and amendments of CAAB issued on the same mentioned subject are hereby cancelled.
