The government has decided to lift Covid-19 restrictions requiring travellers to get a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test done 72 hours before travelling to and from Bangladesh.
The decision was taken considering the declining Omicron transmission across the country.
However, unvaccinated travellers will still have to submit an RT-PCR test result.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) published a circular in this regard on Tuesday.
The government has also decided to lift restrictions on cross-border travel to and from India as well.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), said other travel restrictions would be lifted gradually.
At an inter-ministerial meeting on Sunday, the civil aviation body proposed that the RT-PCR test be done away with to make it easier for passengers to travel.
"In case of departure, passengers will follow the rules of the country concerned, but vaccinated passengers will not need an RT-PCR test while travelling to Bangladesh," Mafidur Rahman said.
However, the Civil Aviation will work out a decision on lifting the remaining restrictions and a notification will be issued shortly, according to the CAAB chairman.
On January 25, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for removing all travel barriers, including travel bans, quarantine and testing for those who are fully vaccinated with a World Health Organization (WHO)-approved vaccine.
On February 17, the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 recommended relaxing the obligatory Covid rt-PCR test for people travelling abroad by air in light of recent developments globally.
The necessity of the test for fully vaccinated air passengers should be determined in line with the requirement of the destination country, it said.
The NTAC has also recommended allowing travellers who are vaccinated at least 14 days before travelling to Bangladesh.
It suggested that unvaccinated passengers must undergo the rt-PCR test 72 hours before travelling.
Changing rules and guidelines
According to global media reports, destinations around the world are loosening travel restrictions after nearly two years of changing rules and guidelines for vaccinated visitors by striking out testing requirements for entry.
Countries like France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have already lifted almost all restrictions for travellers, while many countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, have lifted Covid test requirements for countries listed as safe zones.
Other countries, like Austria, have eased the obligation for those who have proof of booster doses.
France dropped testing requirements for vaccinated travellers from February 12 and Greece from February 7.
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Bangladesh is at level three, meaning the country is still being considered as a high infecting one but people are allowed to travel.
Under current rules, a 14-day quarantine is mandatory for returnees from seven African countries to prevent the outbreak of Omicron, the new Covid variant.
The countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
According to the notice, passengers have to quarantine at government nominated hotels at their own expense and do an rt-PCR test after seven days and 14 days.
Those testing positive for Covid after seven days will be isolated further so that they do not infect others.
The notice also mentioned that airlines must provide passengers' passport details, addresses and contact numbers in Bangladesh to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
