Bangladesh to suspend all flights to and from the country from April 12-20

DHAKA: The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on Sunday decided to suspend international flights for one week starting from April 14 with the commencement of the hard-lockdown in the country following the surge of COVID-19 cases.

Issuing a notice yesterday, the CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman clarified that no restriction will be imposed on the movement of chartered flights, cargo flights, and special flights carrying high commissioners of different countries and foreign nationals.

However, all the persons coming in or going out "shall mandatorily possess PCR based COVID-19 negative certificate and the PCR test shall have to be done within 72 hours of the flight departure time.

More than 500 flights will be cancelled because of the ban, said the CAAB’s Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman.

Domestic passenger flights and chartered helicopter flights are included in the suspension.

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Earlier on April 1, the CAAB issued an office order which said 4 days hotel quarantine is mandatory for all passengers from India, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Oman, UAE upon arrival in Bangladesh at their own expenses. Besides, passengers from Doha shall not be allowed to enter Bangladesh till 18 April during the embargo period.

The flight operations on domestic routes of Bangladesh remained suspended since the enforcement of the seven-day lockdown in the country from April 5.

A surge in COVID-19 cases since March prompted the government to enforce a nine-day nationwide shutdown until Tuesday.

Bangladesh government is going to enforce a week-long hard lockdown across the country starting from April 14. During this lockdown, all government and private offices, factories and industries - and transport services will remain closed. Only the emergency services will remain open during the ensuing hard lockdown.