UNB, Dhaka :
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has requested the print and electronic media in Bangladesh not to publish any news that may impact the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Italy without due diligence.
MoFA said the fact is that the Italian Prime Minister never mentioned the word “virus bombs” indicating any community during his interview with the Spanish TV Channel.
The news was published in some newspapers in Bangladesh “wrongly quoting” the President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) of the Italian Republic.
The newspapers have misquoted Giuseppe Conte, Prime Minister of Italy, as saying that Bangladeshis are “virus bombs”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that the Prime Minister of Italy never said any such thing about Bangladeshis.
While running any news that may have negative impact on bilateral relations, including on the Bangladeshi expatriate community, the media is urged to check the authenticity of the news.
The Foreign Ministry also requested the print and electronic 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.
While covering the news on COVID-19, some Italian newspapers carried that of COVID-19 among the Bangladesh expatriate community members in Italy.
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. One newspaper even published the news under the headline of Bangladeshi ‘virus bombs’.
While talking to a Spanish TV channel during his recent visit to Madrid, Prime Minister Conte mentioned that in the recent flights from Bangladesh there were up to 20 percent passengers in a single flight who 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 Italy was forced to stop flights from Bangladesh.
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 14 July 2020.
The longstanding relationship between Bangladesh and Italy has been based on mutual trust and respect, MoFA mentioned.
At the invitation of the Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid a bilateral visit to Italy in February this year, and the two Prime Ministers had a very productive and fruitful bilateral official meeting.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has requested the print and electronic media in Bangladesh not to publish any news that may impact the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Italy without due diligence.
MoFA said the fact is that the Italian Prime Minister never mentioned the word “virus bombs” indicating any community during his interview with the Spanish TV Channel.
The news was published in some newspapers in Bangladesh “wrongly quoting” the President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) of the Italian Republic.
The newspapers have misquoted Giuseppe Conte, Prime Minister of Italy, as saying that Bangladeshis are “virus bombs”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that the Prime Minister of Italy never said any such thing about Bangladeshis.
While running any news that may have negative impact on bilateral relations, including on the Bangladeshi expatriate community, the media is urged to check the authenticity of the news.
The Foreign Ministry also requested the print and electronic 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.
While covering the news on COVID-19, some Italian newspapers carried that of COVID-19 among the Bangladesh expatriate community members in Italy.
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. One newspaper even published the news under the headline of Bangladeshi ‘virus bombs’.
While talking to a Spanish TV channel during his recent visit to Madrid, Prime Minister Conte mentioned that in the recent flights from Bangladesh there were up to 20 percent passengers in a single flight who 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 Italy was forced to stop flights from Bangladesh.
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 14 July 2020.
The longstanding relationship between Bangladesh and Italy has been based on mutual trust and respect, MoFA mentioned.
At the invitation of the Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid a bilateral visit to Italy in February this year, and the two Prime Ministers had a very productive and fruitful bilateral official meeting.
