A flight carrying Bangladeshi expatriate workers will leave Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Dubai after midnight following United Arab Emirates government's approval to six healthcare facilities to carry out Covid-19 tests at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). 

Carrying around 45 passengers, a flight of Emirates is scheduled to depart Dhaka airport for Dubai around 1:40am, said Dr Ishraq Shahriar Angel, a health official of HSIA, told The Daily Star.

Outbound passengers being tested for Covid-19 at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Photo courtesy of Executive Director of HSIA.

"We are carrying out tests of the UAE-bound passengers at the airport lab from 7:00pm. Around 45 passengers are likely to fly to Dubai by an Emirates flight after midnight," he also said.

A passenger will have to spend Tk 1600 for a Covid-19 test.

Earlier in the day, UAE gave approval to six healthcare facilities to carry out Covid-19 test of UAE-bound passengers, ending the long wait of Bangladeshi expatriate workers to return to their workplaces in the Gulf country.

Embassy of the UAE in Dhaka informed this decision in a letter to the chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman.

In the letter, UAE said the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates has granted approval for RT-PCR test to laboratories as proposed by Bangladesh on the condition that these tests are carried out within the airport premises and within a maximum of six hours from the time of departure.

"This decision is effective as of 12:00pm September 29.  Therefore, we request you to kindly give permission to start operation for regular flights between Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates," reads the letter.

UAE also requested CAAB for giving permission for operation of regular flights between UAE and Dhaka.

Six healthcare facilities have already set up labs at the airport to test coronavirus samples for UAE bound expatriate workers and passengers.

All other preparations including setting up of sample collection booth have also been completed.

The six approved institutions are Gulshan Clinic Limited, Stamz Healthcare (BD) Limited, CSBF Health Center, AMZ Hospital Limited, Anwar Khan Modern Medical College Hospital and DMFR Molecular Lab and Diagnostic.