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Consular
information
Country
Description:
Bangladesh
is not frequently visited country in South Asia. Tourist
facilities outside major cities and tourist areas are minimal.
The capital city is Dhaka.
Entry
Requirements:
A
passport and onward/return ticket are required. A visa is not
required for a tourist stay of up to 15 days. Visas (landing
permits) are available for a fee upon arrival by air. However,
it is strongly recommended to collect visas before traveling.
Further information can be obtained from the Embassy or
consulate of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Validity
of Visas:
Bangladeshi
visas are valid for 6 months from the date of issue and are good
for stays of 1 or 3 months.
Customs:
A
Customs Declaration Form is issued on arrival. Keep this until
you leave as officials will check this before they let you out
of the country. Tourists are allowed to bring in 200 cigarettes
or two cartons and two litres or two bottles of liquor. The old
selling-the duty-frees game isn't crash hot in Bangladesh and if
you do get involved take care as some of the dealers are less
than straightforward. Recently some travellers have also been
talked into buying betel nut in Burma to resell in Bangladesh.
That's unlikely to work either! Around the Biman Bangladesh
Airlines office and the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel are prime areas for
selling goods.
Areas
of Instability:
Public
demonstrations, marches and labour strikes are widely used means
of political expression in Bangladesh. A number of general
strikes, or hartals, have been called by the political
opposition during the past year, resulting in the virtual
shutdown of transportation and commerce, and attacks on
individuals who do not observe the hartals. Clashes between
rival political groups have resulted in deaths and injuries to
participants. Violence is a particular problem on university
campuses. Visitors to Bangladesh should check with the Consular
Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in their native
countries or at their Diplomatic Missions in Dhaka, Bangladesh
for updated information on planned political activities.
Information
on Crime:
Crime
rates in Bangladesh have traditionally been low compared to
those in other areas of the world. However, crime in Dhaka and
Chittigong, Jessore is increasing, as are reports of crimes
involving weapons. Foreigners have not been especially targeted.
The loss or theft of a passport abroad should be reported
immediately to local police and to the nearest embassy or
consulate.
Drug
Penalties:
Travelers
are subject to the laws and legal practices of the countries in which
they travel. Penalties for possession of, use of, or trafficking in
illegal drugs are strict in Bangladesh. The death penalty or life
imprisonment can be imposed for some drug-related crimes. At a minimum,
convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines.
Traffic
Safety and Road Conditions: 
The
Bangladesh road network is in generally poor condition, in part, due to
the difficulty of building and maintaining a transportation
infrastructure across a vast river delta. The streets of Dhaka are
congested, with hundreds of thousands of bicycle rickshaws competing
with three-wheeled taxis, cars and trucks for limited road space.
Because intercity roads are narrow and in poor condition, driving
outside urban areas at night may be dangerous.
Registration:
Travellers
are encouraged to register at the Embassy of their country in Dhaka and
obtain updated information on travel and security within Bangladesh.
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