The Ambassador of France in Bangladesh, Marie Masdupuy, has denied claims that the relevant authorities rejected the visa applications of ten senior journalists.
To clarify the matter, Ambassador Masdupuy issued an official statement saying that the French representation in the country did not refuse visas for journalists and called the claim a disinformation.
The clarification from Ambassador Masdupuy came after Abdur Rab Bhuttow, who is a news editor, said that the French representation in Bangladesh had rejected visas for ten “pro-government” senior journalists, leaving them unable to travel to France.
The claim made by Bhuttow was not expected well by the Ambassador, who denied all allegations and said that Bhuttow’s daily sport is “lie and disinformation”.
Sport is essential in life. Some play football, some tennis, others badminton or squash. ABhuttow’s daily sport is lie and disinformation.
Not long after Ambassador Masdupuy wrote such a statement, the one published by Bhuttow was no longer available on his official X account. This suggests that Bhuttow was informed about the case and that the claim is not true.
However, it is still not clear who the ten journalists were and whether they have entered France. It has been explained that a large number of journalists have applied for a visa to attend the Rugby World Cup 2023 being held in France. Thus, it is believed that the ten journalists also applied for a France visa for the purpose of attending the event.
Journalists from third countries not eligible for visa-free travel need to apply for a Schengen Visa for Journalists and Reporters when planning to enter any of the Schengen member states.
This visa is a type of visa that gets issued to press members visiting the Schengen Area for journalistic purposes.
When applying for this type of visa, journalists and reporters must submit several documents. Moreover, it is advised that the application gets lodged 15 days before the trip.
The Rugby World Cup started taking place in France on September 8, and the event will be ongoing until October 28.
The event is taking place throughout France, with ten host cities – Lille, Saint-Etienne, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Paris and Saint-Denis – where the matches are currently being held.
In addition to the above-mentioned, other cities also have the chance to host teams qualified for the final phase. A large number of people attending the event are currently in France, with the authorities saying that this will positively impact the country’s tourism sector.
