Bangladesh Travel Guide - Getting Around

Internal services are operated by Aero Bengal Airlines, Air Parabat, Bengal Airlift LTD, Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG) and GMG Airlines. Regular flights are run between Dhaka and several other main towns. These are cheap, and most routes are served at least two or three times a week. Airline buses connect with terminals.

Domestic airports include Barisal, Cox's Bazar, Ishwdi, Jessore, Rajshahi and Saidpur.

BDT25.

Major river ports: Barisal, Chandpur, Dhaka, Khulna and Narayanganj. The country has about 8,433km (5,240 miles) of navigable waterways and water transport, if a little slow, is the least expensive method of getting around Bangladesh. Ferries operate between southern coastal ports and the Ganges River delta. Passages should be booked well in advance; for details, contact local port authorities. River services are operated by the Bangladesh Inland Waterway Transport Corporation (BIWTC), which runs ‘Rocket’ ferries and launches on a number of routes. A ferry operates from Dhaka to Khulna four times a week (journey time – 28 hours). Ferries can often be dangerously overcrowded.

A slow but efficient network, operated by Bangladesh Railway, is limited by the geography of the country, but river ferries (see Getting Around By Water above) provide through links. Services are being upgraded. However, trains still occasionally derail and passengers have been injured. The main line is Dhaka–Chittagong, with several daily trains, some of which have air-conditioned cars. An inter-city express service is available between main towns.

Traffic drives on the left. There are approximately 6,240km (3,877 miles) of roads, of which 3,840km (2,386 miles) are paved. Road safety is poor. Traffic is heavy and chaotic in urban areas. There are frequent and often lethal crashes caused by speeding, dangerous and aggressive overtaking, sudden manoeuvres, etc. Vehicles and roads are badly maintained and often unlit; drivers, if in lit vehicles, will often have the light full-beam. In addition to all this, banditry is a problem after dark. It is possible to reach virtually everywhere by road, but given the geography of the country, with frequent ferry crossings being a necessity, together with the poor quality of many of the roads, road travel can be very slow.

Bus: The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) provides a countrywide network of bus services. All major towns are served; fares are generally low.

Taxi: Generally available at airports and major hotels. Fares should always be agreed upon before travelling. It is usual to give a 5% tip to taxi drivers.

Car hire: Cars may be hired at Dhaka airport, the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Office or from the major hotels. However, in the major cities, it is relatively easy and inexpensive to hire chauffeur-driven cars.

Documentation: International Driving Permit required.

There are bus services, which are usually very crowded and unreliable, in Dhaka, provided by the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation. The Central Bus Station is on Station Road (Fulbaria); there are also several other terminals, which are, in general, for long-distance services. Buses and bus stations do not generally have signs in English. There are also an estimated 10,000 independent ‘auto-rickshaw’ 3-wheeler taxis (avoid night-time use). Conventional taxis are also available.

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Dhaka to other major cities/towns in Bangladesh.

	Air	Road	Rail
Chittagong	0.35	6.00	6.00
Sylhet	0.30	7.00	7.00
Rajshahi	0.45	12.00	13.00
Rangpur	-	11.30	11.30