Bangladesh Embassy working to verify UAE visa ban news, suspects visa processing centre's post malicious
“The visa processing centre's website does not have much authenticity. This could be a malicious post. So far, neither our embassy nor the consulate has received any information from the UAE government regarding such a ban," envoy Tareq Ahmed says
Tareq Ahmed, the Bangladesh ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has raised concerns over a recent post regarding a UAE visa ban, calling it potentially "malicious".
Speaking to The Business Standard over the phone today (20 September), he said, "Based on the information we have received so far, the website referred to in news reports in Bangladeshi media is actually a visa processing centre."
"The website does not have much authenticity. 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 added.
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He also said, "One of our Bangladeshi expatriates spoke with the visa centre. However, they instead asked him that if anyone wants to apply for a visa, they can do it through them."
Ambassador Tareq further noted that since today and tomorrow are official holidays in the UAE, the embassy would attempt to verify the matter through personal contacts. "If that is not possible, we will pursue it on Monday."
He urged caution until an official statement is received. "Until we get confirmation from the UAE government, we cannot say whether the information is true or false. We are actively working on it."
Meanwhile, regarding news reports published in Bangladeshi media about the UAE visa ban on Bangladesh, Chief adviser's Special Envoy for International Affairs and Adviser Lutfey Siddiqi, in a Facebook post, wrote, "To their credit, The Business Standard seems to have taken it down. Some of the others still have it on their websites.
"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 added, "As we approach elections, there will be more baits of disinformation out there. Mainstream media should not take them without scrutiny."
Earlier on 17 September, an article published on the UAEVisaOnline website cited an immigration circular claiming that the restriction is part of a broader visa suspension affecting Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Lebanon, Cameroon, Sudan, and Uganda.
The UAE would stop accepting tourist and work visa applications from the mentioned countries starting January 2026, said UAEVisaOnline, a travel agency that provides online visa services and keeps travellers updated on rules and the application process.
Current entry requirements for all foreign nationals (2026 update) include a valid passport with at least six months' validity and at least two blank pages, an approved UAE visa, negative Covid-19 test results, a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, and compliance with UAE health, quarantine, and travel regulations.
Disclaimer: Earlier in the day, The Business Standard published a report titled "UAE imposes visa ban on Bangladesh from January 2026" based on information from the website UAEVisaOnline. The report was published without proper verification, which was incorrect and did not follow journalistic norms. We sincerely regret this mistake and assure our readers that we will take greater care to avoid such errors in the future.
