Bangladesh makes Covid-19 certificate mandatory for most foreigners to depart

Bangladesh today decided that all foreign passport holders except diplomats, members of UN organisations and its sister concerns and head of international bodies and their family members must show Covid-19 negative certificates, before leaving the country from July 26.

The government also exempted foreign investors and foreign passport holders, who stayed in Bangladesh less than 14 days, from this regulation while children below the age of 10 don't need to show the Covid-19 negative certificate at the airports.

In a circular, the Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) announced the decision was taken in an inter-ministerial meeting today.

The decision for the foreigners came after four days while the government made obtaining Covid-19 negative certificates mandatory for all Bangladesh nationals before leaving the country from July 23.

"As per the directives of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), all departing passengers from Bangladesh must show Covid-19 negative certificates tested by the government listed 16 testing facilities not more than 72 hours of their international flights from July 23," said Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) in a circular on July 18.

Meanwhile, the civil aviation ministry said all intending passengers need to show their passports and air tickets at the testing facilities while giving samples for the Corona test.

The government has fixed Taka 3,500 for each test at laboratories and Taka 4,500 each in case of collecting samples from residences of the international air travellers.

The intending passengers must stay-at-home isolation after giving their samples until flight day, said the release.

The 16 government authorised Covid testing facilities are: National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Centre, Institute of Public Health, and National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine in Dhaka; Sher-E-Bangla Medical College, Barisal, Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar Medical College (IEDCR Field Laboratory), Cumilla Medical College, Narayanganj 300 Bed Hospital, Khulna Medical College, Kustia Medical College, Mymensingh Medical College, Bogura Medical College, Rajshahi Medical College, M Abdur Rahim Medical College, Dinajpur, Rangpur Medical College and Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College.