Bangladesh

Quick Facts

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Capital

Dhaka

Government

Parliamentary Democracy

Nationality

Bangladeshi

Population

140 600 000^[1]

Languages

Bangla (Bengali), English

Religions

Islam, Hinduism

Currency

Bangladeshi Taka (BDT)

Calling Code

+880

Time Zone

BDT (UTC+6)

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Introduction

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With flooding during the Monsoon season acting like an annual killjoy, the Bangladesh economy has had a steep uphill battle, one which has so far been unsuccessfully fought; Bangladesh is one countries of South Asia.

So it goes without saying that you shouldn't expect all the comforts of modern life if you visit Bangladesh, a country whose tourist board says "Come to Bangladesh before the tourists". What you should expect is a South Asian nation where the people's traditional way of life can still be observed (Many things have been modified though with a touch of modernization). You should also expect temples and monasteries dating back to before the turn of the first millennium. Bangladesh also counts to its credit the world's longest beach and the world's largest littoral mangrove forest. The latter, moreover, is part of Sundarbans National Park, which boasts large populations of Royal Bengal Tigers and spotted deer. So you'd better get to Bangladesh... before the tourists do.

Brief History

Geography

Bangladesh is bordered by India on the most part, a small section by Myanmar on the southeast and the Bay of Bengal to the south.

Regions

Bangladesh is organised into 6 administrative divisions, named after their divisional headquarters.

• Barisal Division
• Chittagong Division
• Dhaka Division
• Khulna Division
• Rajshahi Division
• Sylhet Division

Cities

• Dhaka - The capital
• Barisal
• Chittagong
• Chandpur
• Cox's Bazar
• St. Martin
• Jamalpur
• Khulna
• Jessore
• Rajshahi
• Sylhet
• Bogra

Sights and Activities

The Sunderbans

The Sundarbans mangrove forest is one of the largest forests of its kind and is located in the southwest of Bangladesh on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. The Sundarbans are shared with India and from a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests and has a high biodiversity with a wide range of flora and fauna. Animals include 260 bird species, the Royal Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python. Some of the wildlife though is very elusive and it is a matter of luck for example to see a tiger. It is best to arrange tours from Dhaka or Kulna which can last for a week if you want.

Bagerhat

The Historic Mosqua City of Bagerhat is another fantastic Unesco site and is located where the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers join. It is an ancient city which was founded by the Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan in the 15th century. The city’s highlights include a large number of mosques and early Islamic monuments, many of which are built of brick.

Beachlife

The southeastern corner of the Chittagong Division is where most travellers head to relax on one of the beaches. The most popular sports include the southern town of Cox's Bazar and Saint Martins Island. The latter is a small island about 10 kilometers southwest of the most southern tip of Bangladesh. It is a typical tropical island and the only coral island in the country. The main activities include hanging around on one of the beaches fringed with coconut palms and bountiful marine life. You need to get a ferry from Teknaf to get here, which take around 2 and half hours.

Kear Sindabad is the most demandable and tourist friendly ship for this route. LCT Kutubdia, Eagle-1, MV Farhan and Rangabali also operate every day in the tourism season from Teknaf to St.Martin

Other sights and activities

• Hill Tract - Chittagong Division
• Ruins of the Budhis Vihara - Paharpur
• Sylhet - with surrounding tea estates and green rolling hills

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is the national airline of Bangladesh with its base at Zia International Airport (DAC) near the capital Dhaka. It has flights mainly to the southern parst of Asia and to Hongkong, Rome and London.

GMG Airlines is a bigger airline though and based at Dhaka as well. It has the same destinations as Biman, with the exception that it flies to Milan instead of Rome.

Jet Airways has cheap flights between Delhi and Dhaka while also AirAsia X has chartered budget flights from Kuala Lumpur and low-cost airline Air Arabia is planning to fly from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, making it possible to fly cheaper to Bangladesh compared to direct flights from Europe.

By Train

According to plans, trains are running again since late 2007 between Calcutta, India and the capital Dhaka for the first time in over 40 years. Although there were connections from Calcutta to the border and across the border further to Kulna, there weren't any connections to Dhaka at all from the west. This direct option takes about 12 hours including border formalities.

By Car

By Bus

There is a direct bus route that runs direct from Kolkata in India to Dhaka. The trip takes about 8-9 hours and runs several times a day. It costs about $10-$12 one way.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

There are several airlines servicing domestic airports, including Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Aero Bengal Airlines, Air Parabat, Bengal Airlift LTD and GMG Airlines. Destinations include Dhaka, Chittagong, Jesorre and Cox's Bazar.

By Train

Bangladeshi rail service covers most of the country and connects Dhaka with other major cities including Chittagong, which is served twice daily from the capital and some carriages are airconditioned. Although there are many rivers which are not crossed by train, there are river ferries which provide through services, thus covering a lot of the country.

By Car

Renting a car by yourself is not recommended as driving conditions are poor and sometimes chaotic and dangerous. Better to rent a car with a driver or take trains and boats as means of transportation. If you do want to drive a bit yourself, be sure to take your international driving permit and sufficient insurance. Rental cars are availabe at Dhaka and several airports.

By Bus

The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) provides a countrywide network of bus services. Roads are generally in a basic condition and buses can be uncomfortable.
New luxurious bus companies have joined the market though including Green Line, Shyamoli and Shohagh. Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar are the main destinations.

By Boat

Bangladesh relies largely on ferry services on many of its rivers. Major river ports include Barisal, Chandpur, Dhaka, Khulna and Narayanganj. Ferries operate between southern coastal ports and the Ganges River delta. River services are operated by the Bangladesh Inland Waterway Transport Corporation (BIWTC). A ferry operates from Dhaka to Khulna four times a week, taking over 24 hours. Note that some ferries can be very crowded and as a result can be dangerous. Every year there are several accidents, killing tens of people.

Red Tape

Nationals from the following countries do not require a visa for a stay of up to 90 days:^[2]

• Barbados, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cyprus, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tonga, Western Samoa, Zambia.

All other nationals will have to apply for a visa at the nearest Bangladeshi Missions Abroad.

Money

The official currency is the Bangladeshi Taka (ISO code: BDT). One taka is divided into 100 poisha. Banknotes are in denominations of Tk 1, Tk 2, Tk 5, Tk 10, Tk 20, Tk 50, Tk 100 and Tk 500. Coins come in 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 poisha; Tk 1, Tk 2 and Tk 5.

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