A foreign ministry spokesperson yesterday said some 200 Indian journalists visited Bangladesh last year and 116 in 2003.

The spokesperson dismissed the comments made by Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as "sweeping and regrettable."

On January 18, MEA spokesman Navtej Sarna said, "It may be mentioned that Bangladesh routinely denies visas to Indian journalists...." He was explaining why a Bangladeshi columnist, Sadeq Khan was denied Indian visa.

Sarna said Khan was refused visa "taking into account the antecedents of the journalist concerned."

The foreign ministry has already received 82 forms from Indian journalists wishing to cover the upcoming 13th Saarc Summit in Dhaka during February 6-7.

Dhaka, however, has not yet received the particulars of 40 Indian journalists scheduled to accompany Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the spokesperson added.