Dhaka, July 10 -- Passengers are not allowed to travel to Italy from Bangladesh irrespective of any nationality and transit where the flight originates from Bangladesh, according to a notice issued on Thursday.

The Italian authorities took the decision "taking into account the actual health risk that the ongoing pandemic entails".

Italy suspended all flights from Bangladesh for one week due to a "significant number" of passengers who tested positive to the coronavirus on a flight to Rome on July 7.

On Wednesday, Italy sent back 165 Bangladeshis who arrived in the country on two Qatar Airways flights without allowing them to disembark from the aircraft

"Upon request of the Italian Health Ministry, all flights/passengers from Bangladesh...