Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen is surprised to see that UK and Australia who have closed their skies for coronavirus are ‘pressing’ the Bangladesh government to keep the air links open.
“We don’t know what their intention is. They are telling us they will provide us assistance to fight the disease, but they didn’t give us any list,” he told journalists on Saturday, adding that the government cut all air links considering the public health.
Like many other countries, the government stopped airports till April 11 to stem the spread of the virus. Some countries are taking back their citizens with chartered flights.
But the UK and Australian diplomats were requesting the government to keep their lines open.
Dr Momen said the UK was ‘pressing’ the government. “They are trying to convince us in different ways to open the London and Manchester flights. But for the safety of our own people, we stopped the flights”.
He said there is no domestic demand from Bangladesh to open the flights. “Our people are even asking the government to keep airport closed. I have talked with the expatriates in London. They also told us not to open the flights,” he said, referring to the Bangladeshis diaspora in the UK.
Interesting thing is those who are telling us to open the flights, they have suspended all of their flights. Australia has stopped all incoming and outgoing flights, the minister said.
He said the foreign ministry alone does not take the decision of opening and closing the airport. “We have a committee which is take the decision after reviewing everything,” he said.
