Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:

• Traffic in Bangladesh moves on the left, the opposite of U.S. traffic, and large vehicles generally take the right-of-way.
• Roads are extremely crowded, poorly maintained, and often lack shoulders, have numerous potholes, sharp drop-offs, and barriers that are not sign-posted.
• Drivers are often unlicensed, aggressive, and poorly trained.
• Many vehicles, particularly large trucks and buses, are badly maintained.
• Speed limits and other traffic laws are not commonly posted and are rarely observed by motorists. Vehicles often run red lights and merge directly into traffic without stopping. The practice of using one’s car horn or flashing high-beam headlights to announce one’s presence is the norm in all areas of Bangladesh at all times of day or night.

Road accidents, including fatal head-on collisions, are common in Bangladesh. When traveling by road you should: 

• Exercise extreme caution when crossing streets, and when traveling at night by road;
• Use seatbelts if available and wear helmets on motorcycles and bicycles;
• Do not travel by road without an experienced local driver or guide;
• Exercise particular vigilance along intercity highways, as banditry and carjacking have been known to occur;
• Monitor local news for any reports of road disturbances as protestors and demonstrators often use road blockage as a means of publicizing their grievances. 

If a serious accident occurs, or if a driver hits a pedestrian or a cow, crowds quickly gather and the behavior of the crowd is often unpredictable. The vehicle and its occupants may be at risk of being attacked in such circumstances depending on who the crowd believes is at fault and what damage occurred. Such attacks may pose significant risk of injury or death to the vehicle's occupants or at least of incineration of the vehicle. It is unsafe to remain at the scene of an accident of this nature. Seek shelter at the nearest police station.

Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information. We also suggest that you visit Bangladesh’s National Tourism Organization website.

Public Transportation:

• We strongly urge you to not use buses, rickshaws, and mini-taxis, due to their high accident rate and crime issues. Instead, consider a rental car and driver.
• The Bangladesh passenger rail system is antiquated and overburdened. Some political activists target the rail lines during civil unrest by hurling explosives and removing rail ties from the tracks, making the trips unusually dangerous and causing cancellations. Even in calm times, foreigners are often the center of attention at many train stations because of the relatively atypical presence of foreign travelers on rail in the country.

Aviation Safety Oversight: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the government of Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation Authority as not being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Bangladesh’s air carrier operations. Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page