Asia and Oceania

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• We advise against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (this does not include the city of Chittagong).  If you propose to visit the Chittagong Hill Tracts you are required to give the Bangladeshi authorities ten days’ notice of your travel plans.  Please see the detailed guidance in the Local Travel Chittagong Hill Tracts section of this advice.
  
  
• There are confirmed human cases of A (H1N1) - Swine Flu in Bangladesh. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 6. The WHO website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html has further details. You should also monitor local media reports for any developments and advice. There is a dedicated Swine Flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website at: www.dh.gov.uk. The Government of Bangladesh have no specific quarantine plans or regulations in place at present, but arriving passengers are being screened at Dhaka International Airport and you should be prepared to fill in a questionnaire if asked. If you are suspected of being infected with the H1N1 virus you will be tested at a hospital.
  
  
• There is a general threat from terrorism.  Attacks cannot be ruled out and could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• Sentencing in a high profile court case is scheduled for Thursday 19 November 2009 and could lead to protests. British nationals in Bangladesh should avoid crowds on this and subsequent days and should monitor this website and the local media to keep abreast of the current situation.
  
  
• Up to 75,000 British nationals visit Bangladesh every year.  63 British nationals required consular assistance in Bangladesh in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009. The main types of incidents for which British nationals require consular assistance in Bangladesh are for cases of forced marriage and the issuing of passports. If you are concerned see the pages on forced marriages or passport pages of the FCO website.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and travel insurance for more details.