Bangladeshis returning from India have to stay in 14-day quarantine

The government has made 14-day quarantine mandatory for the Bangladeshis, whose visa has expired, returning from India under special consideration amid the border closure.

Besides, travellers must carry a clearance or no-objection certificate from Bangladesh missions in Kolkata and Delhi.

These people will require to follow a 14-day mandatory quarantine while entering the country on land, river or air routes, according to a gazette notification of the Cabinet division issued on Wednesday.

Earlier, an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen decided that in case of emergency, Bangladesh missions in Kolkata and Delhi can allow Bangladeshis to enter the country, subject to having Covid-19 negative certificate.

The government has closed the border with India for 14 days, starting on 26 April, as Covid-19 has taken a dangerous turn in the neighbouring country.

Although the movement of people was stopped, foreign ministry sources said the cross-border trading will remain in force during this period.

The vehicles carrying imported goods from India must be properly sterilised before entering Bangladesh borders as per the directives, while concerned authorities have encouraged the use of railways for the export and import of goods between the two countries.

Meanwhile, as per the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), passengers from only eight countries - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Singapore, China and the UAE - will be allowed to enter the country till 5 May.

India's second wave has hit the country with such ferocity that hospitals are running out of oxygen, beds and antiviral drugs. Many patients are being turned away due to lack of space for them.

Coronavirus infections soared again in India in a "tsunami" of disease, setting a new world record for cases over the past few days.