Passengers from European countries, except the UK, and 12 other countries will not be allowed to enter Bangladesh.

The 12 non-European countries are: Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Peru, Qatar, South Africa, Turkey and Uruguay.

The ban will come into effect from April 3 and will continue till April 18, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) announced today in a circular.

The CAAB, in the circular, said they came up with the decision after reviewing the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation throughout the country and across the world.

Airlines operating scheduled passenger flights from all those countries will be allowed to carry only transit passengers to Bangladesh subject to the conditions that the passengers remain confined inside the terminal building only.

If transit passengers -- except from those countries mentioned above -- exit from the airport's transit area, their Covid-19 negative certificate shall become null and void, said CAAB.

A fresh PCR based Covid-19 negative certificate has to be obtained within 72 hours of departure for Bangladesh.

On arrival to Bangladesh, such passengers will have to go for mandatory four-day institutional quarantine at government facilities or government approved hotels at their own expenses.

Samples will be collected for Covid-19 PCR test. If the Covid-19 PCR test result is negative, the passenger will be released to complete 10 days of home quarantine (in total 14 days, including the institutional quarantine time).