Bangladesh Travel Guide - Getting There

The national airline is Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG).

From London to Dhaka is 9 hours, and from New York is 23 hours.

Dhaka International (DAC) (Zia International). The airport is 20km (11 miles) north of the city (journey time – 45 minutes). To/from the airport: Biman Bangladesh coaches run regularly. To return, pick up the coach from the Tejgaon old airport building, the Golden Gate or Zakaria hotels. Parjatan Coaches are also available. Bus and taxi services are available to the city. It is usual to give a 5% tip to taxi drivers. It has been known for passengers to suffer harassment at International Airports, even by corrupt officials or unlicensed touts. It is best to arrange pick-up in advance, preferably with the hotel or friends. The airport has, however, improved immeasurably in the last couple of years and improvement looks set to continue. Hopefully, these issues will eventually be resolved. Facilities: Restaurants, post office, banks, duty-free shops and car hire.

Other international airports include Chittagong (CGP) (MA Hannan International Airport) and Syhlet (ZYL) (Osmani International Airport).

BDT300.

The main seaport is Chittagong. Ferries from Myanmar and India run to the southern coastal ports. For details, contact the Embassy or High Commission of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (see Contact Addresses).

Rail connections (there are no through-trains) link Bangladesh with India (West Bengal and Assam). Cycle-rickshaw, bus or porter services provide the cross-border connections.

Overland crossings include the Benapol-Haridispur border (for Calcutta), the Chilihari-Haldibari border (for Darjeeling) and the Tamabil-Dawki border (for Shillong). The crossing at Benapol is the easiest and most used. It is advisable to check when the frontier posts will be open. Conditions are likely to be difficult during the monsoon season. All other frontier posts between the two countries are currently closed. Overland travel is not currently possible between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Coach: A direct daily service has recently been introduced between Dhaka and Calcutta via Benapol. For further details, contact Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (tel: (2) 955 5553).