Bangladesh Embassy Working to Verify Rumors of UAE Visa Ban, Calls Post “Possibly Malicious”

The Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi is actively working to verify recent reports circulating online about an alleged UAE visa ban on Bangladeshi citizens. Ambassador Tareq Ahmed has raised concerns over the credibility of the source, calling the post “possibly malicious.”

Speaking to The Business Standard on 20 September, the envoy explained that the claims originated from a visa processing centre’s website, which “does not have much authenticity.” He added:

“This could be a malicious post by the visa centre itself. So far, neither our embassy nor the consulate has received any information from the UAE government regarding such a ban.”

The ambassador confirmed that an expatriate had contacted the visa centre directly, but instead of providing clarification, the centre simply advised that visa applications could still be submitted through them.

Since 20 and 21 September are official holidays in the UAE, the embassy will use informal channels to seek clarification. If that fails, they plan to pursue the matter through official government contacts starting Monday.

“Until we get confirmation from the UAE government, we cannot say whether the information is true or false. We are actively working on it,” Ambassador Tareq stressed, urging Bangladeshi citizens to remain cautious and avoid misinformation.

Concern Over Media Reporting

Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Envoy for International Affairs to the Chief Adviser, also commented on the issue. In a Facebook post, he criticized some Bangladeshi media outlets for publishing the report without proper verification.

He wrote, “A basic journalistic practice would be to either look for the alleged government circular or approach the relevant embassy/ambassador for verification. To regurgitate stuff like this without any attempt at verification discredits the profession.”

He further warned that as the country approaches elections, misinformation and disinformation campaigns are likely to increase.

Origin of the Rumor

The confusion began after a report published on UAEVisaOnline, a private travel agency site, claimed that the UAE would suspend tourist and work visa applications from several countries — including Bangladesh — starting January 2026. The same report also listed additional requirements such as valid passports, vaccination certificates, and compliance with UAE travel regulations.

However, no official statement from the UAE government has been issued to support these claims.

Correction from Media

Earlier on 17 September, The Business Standard had published a report citing UAEVisaOnline as the source. The outlet later issued a correction and withdrew the report, acknowledging that it was released without proper verification.

👉 Note for travelers: Until an official statement is released by the UAE government, Bangladeshi applicants are advised to rely only on verified embassy and consular announcements.