International flights resumed to and from Dhaka on Saturday after a 17-day hiatus though restrictions remained for passengers coming from countries with huge number of COVID-19 cases, The Daily Star reported

Passengers coming from 26 countries - Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Kuwait, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Uruguay will have stay in 14-day institutional quarantine at the government-designated hotels at their own expenses.

However, no passengers are allowed to and from 12 countries which include India, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Mongolia, Oman, South Africa and Tunisia, according to a circular issued by Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), the report said.

Only Bangladeshi expatriates/citizens who visited (not residing in) the 12 countries in last 15 days, are allowed to travel to Dhaka but they must have special approval from the competent authority of Bangladesh, the circular said.

Proof of hotel booking must be produced during check-in and the airlines representative will verify it before issuing the boarding pass.

The circular said passengers can have transit via India, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Mongolia, Oman, South Africa and Tunisia but they will remain confined within the airport under the close supervision of the airlines.

As an exception, incoming passengers originating from Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar will have to complete a mandatory three-day institutional quarantine at government nominated hotels at their own expense.

CAAB also said passengers from all nations, except for the 38 countries mentioned in the circular, are allowed to travel into Bangladesh. But the incoming passengers will have to stay in strict home quarantine for 14 days.

The government had suspended regular flight operation on all international routes from April 14 to contain spread of Covid-19 infection.

(SAM)