DHAKA, July 11, 2020 (BSS) – Foreign Ministry today earnestly requested local print and electronic media not to publish any news that may impact the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Italy without due diligence.
“While running any news that may have negative impact on bilateral relations, including on the Bangladeshi expatriate community (in Italy), the media is urged to check the authenticity of the news,” foreign ministry said here in a statement.
It said attention of the foreign ministry has been drawn to news published in some Bangladesh newspapers wrongly quoting the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte as saying that Bangladeshis are “virus bombs”.
Bangladesh foreign ministry said the Italian Prime Minister never used the word “virus bombs” indicating to any community during his interview with the Spanish TV Channel.
The foreign ministry also requested media to create awareness among Bangladeshi diaspora all over the world, including the passengers departing from Bangladesh, for their sympathetic understanding of the local situations, and for adherence to the rules and regulations of
the local government.
However, it said while covering the news on COVID-19 some Italian newspapers carried the news of COVID-19 among the Bangladesh expatriate community members in Italy while one newspaper even published a news item under the headline of Bangladeshi virus bombs.
The attitude of defiance by some members of the Bangladesh community in Italy has been portrayed in the Italian newspapers, and this may create mistrust or discontent among the Italian population against Bangladeshis in Italy, the statement clarified.
Describing the true facts, foreign ministry said while talking to a Spanish TV channel during his recent visit to Madrid, Italian Prime Minister mentioned that in the recent flights from Bangladesh there were up to 20 percent passengers in a single flight who were tested
COVID-19 positive after arriving at the Rome airport.
In order to ensure that Italy does not go through the difficult situation of COVID-19 again, Prime Minister Conte said that Italy was forced to stop flights from Bangladesh.
The foreign ministry mentioned that Bangladesh is not the only country in that list. Italy has stopped flights from 12 other countries of the world, and the decision will be reviewed on July 14 next.
Referring to the longstanding relationship between Bangladesh and Italy has been based on mutual trust and respect, the statement mentioned noted more than 150,000 Bangladeshis live in Italy, and their contributions to the economies of both Bangladesh and Italy are
gratefully acknowledged.
In February last, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid a bilateral visit to Italy at the invitation of her Italian counterpart while the two Premiers had a very productive and fruitful bilateral official meeting.
When many countries of the world are strongly following anti-immigrant practices, including sending back retrenched migrant workers to their home countries, Italian government, as part of their economy revival plan, has decided to regularise many immigrants with
irregular status.
“Italian government has shown extraordinary flexibility and generosity to accept Bangladeshis with Italian residence permits even at the time when Bangladesh has not yet completely recovered from COVID19 virus,” said the statement.
In the last one month, Biman Bangladesh Airlines operated six special charter flights to Rome, where around 1,600 Bangladeshis with Italian residence permits or with Italian passports travelled.
The foreign ministry acknowledged with deep appreciation the support provided by the Embassy of Italy in Dhaka in this regard while the Italian diplomats based here helped the Bangladeshis with Italian residence permits to make their journey to and arrival in Rome
hassle-free.
Unfortunately, the statement said, after arrival in Rome airport, when the incoming passengers were tested for COVID-19, around 70-75 Bangladeshis were tested positive.
In addition to that, the Italian Health Ministry, while testing the members of Bangladesh community in and around Rome, found another 20-25 persons with Coronavirus.
Italian government has taken all due steps to provide necessary supports to these approximately 100 Bangladeshis while most of them have been kept in a hotel for the period of isolation and some hospitalized as needed at the expenses of the Italian government in
both cases.
Regrettably, foreign ministry said, some members of Bangladesh community in Italy who tested positive for COVID-19 are not respectful to the decision of the Italian government and are ignoring the quarantine and isolation guidelines and instructions.
“They (Bangladeshis with COVID-19 positive) are defying the restrictions of the Italian government, thus putting the entire community at risk of infection of the virus,” said the statement.
The foreign ministry also mentioned that a group of Bangladeshis who returned to Bangladesh from Italy in last March also behaved in similar irresponsible manner and refused to follow Bangladesh’s quarantine procedures under various pretexts and now they also
violated the Italian quarantine procedures creating public ill feeling.