The United Arab Emirates has not officially announced any suspension of work or tourist visas for Bangladeshi nationals, Bangladesh’s Ambassador to the UAE, Tarek Ahmed, said in response to viral reports. He noted that the website which circulated the story is not an official UAE government site.

News first appeared on a website called “UAE Visa Online” on 17 September and, after coverage in several Bangladeshi outlets on Saturday, went viral on social media. The Bangladesh embassy said it will contact UAE authorities after the weekly holiday and asked people not to pay attention to visa-related rumours until an official statement is issued.