US Advisory to travel to Bangladesh

US State Department issued a level-4 Travel Advisory to ask US citizens and officials not to travel to Bangladesh due to civil unrest, crime, and terrorism. This is the highest level of advisory from the US State Department.  US State Department 

Updated to reflect Level 4: Do Not Travel and the Department’s ordered departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members.

Do not travel to Bangladesh due to civil unrest, crime, and terrorism.

Country Summary: On August 5, 2024, the Department ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members. Travelers should not travel to Bangladesh due to ongoing civil unrest in Dhaka. Violent clashes have occurred in the city of Dhaka, its neighboring areas, and throughout Bangladesh, and the Bangladeshi Army is deployed nationwide. Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport temporarily paused operations on August 5. Travelers should check with their airlines to confirm status for future flights.

Travelers should be aware of petty crimes such as pickpocketing in crowded areas. Crimes such as muggings, burglaries, assaults, and illegal drug trafficking constitute the majority of criminal activity in Bangladesh’s major cities, but there are no indications foreigners are being targeted because of their nationality. These crimes tend to be situational, based on time and location.

Terrorist attacks can happen with little or no warning, with terrorists targeting public areas such as tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, restaurants, places of worship, school campuses, and government facilities.

Because of security concerns U.S. Embassy personnel in Bangladesh are subject to some movement and travel restrictions. The U.S. government may have limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Bangladesh due to these travel restrictions, a lack of infrastructure, and limited host government emergency response resources.