Air communication with India is likely to resume from next week on a limited scale considering the urgency of people of both countries, sources at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh said.

"Last week we sent a proposal to India citing different conditions to resume flight between the two countries. We hope to get a reply from our counterpart within a day or two. And we hope to resume flight with India from next week under air bubble arrangement," Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, chairman, CAAB, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Flights between the two neighbouring countries will be operated under an "air bubble" agreement meaning that passengers of the two countries won't be able to visit any third destination after their landing in Bangladesh or India, sources at the CAAB said.

Millions of people including patients, businessmen and students used to visit India every year while many Indians used to visit Bangladesh for various purposes.

Bangladesh suspended operating all international flights on April 14 after the start of the second wave of coronavirus in the country.

After being closed for 16 days, the operation of international flights resumed from May 1 except for 12 countries including India.

CAAB later added and deducted names of different countries from the list.

In its latest circular on July 5, CAAB made a fresh list of eight countries including India from where no passengers were allowed to enter Bangladesh.

Earlier, when coronavirus infection started in the country last year, air communication with India was closed for several months.

The flight started between Bangladesh and India on October 28 last year under the air bubble agreement.

All Indian Visa Application Centres (VACs) in Bangladesh already resumed operations from Wednesday as the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions have been eased.

A Facebook post from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Tuesday said all applications except for tourist visas will be accepted.

CAAB in its letter to the Director General of Civil Aviation of India on August 4 had proposed 21 air bubble flights per week for both countries. It also said the air bubble flight may resume from August 11.

The letter also said which categories of passengers could be flown.

Besides, for the mandatory Covid-19 test and negative certificate, the test must be done within 72 hours of flight departure.

Regarding capacity restrictions on flights, CAAB said a maximum of 140 passengers in the narrow-bodied (single-aisle) aircraft and 200 passengers in the wide-bodied (twin-aisle) aircraft can be carried.

Apart from Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Novo Air and US Bangla, and 5 Indian airlines used to operate flights from Bangladesh on various routes to India during normal time.

Indian airlines include Air India, Indigo, SpiceJet, Vistara and GoAir.