Bangladesh

Is Bangladesh safe to visit?

Yes, if you plan carefully and stay flexible. Most foreign visitors are on business, family or aid trips, and they are rarely targeted. But Bangladesh carries more everyday risk than its neighbours India and Nepal: political violence, a standing terrorism threat, dangerous roads and ferries, poor hospitals, dengue and floods. The US rates it Level 2, "exercise increased caution", and says do not travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts. We score Bangladesh 52.

Politics after the 2024 uprising

In July and August 2024 a student-led uprising ended Sheikh Hasina's government after widespread violence. An interim government led by Muhammad Yunus ran the country until the election of 12 February 2026, which the BNP won with a large majority. Its leader, Tarique Rahman, became prime minister on 17 February.

The election brought more stability, not calm. The rights group Odhikar counted 10 deaths in post-election violence between 13 and 28 February, and the monitor HRSS reported 56 deaths in political violence in the first half of 2026. Strikes called hartals can bring arson and clashes to many towns at once. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary also reports attacks on religious minorities and IED attacks on police. The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks Bangladesh 117th of 163.

The FCDO says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks, including on restaurants, transport and religious sites, and that the authorities keep disrupting plots. Stay away from rallies and large gatherings, and be extra careful at festivals; the FCDO flagged Durga Puja (16 to 21 October 2026) because of past intercommunal violence.

Two regions need special care. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban), and you must give 10 days' notice to go. In the far south, the Rohingya refugee camps at Ukhia and Teknaf see drug-gang shootings and kidnappings; the US says do not travel there or near the Myanmar border.

Crime against visitors

UNODC recorded 1.8 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, which is low, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says violent crime has risen since the uprising. Thieves often work in pairs on motorbikes or in CNG auto-rickshaws, and passengers on rickshaws, buses and trains are vulnerable, especially at night. Women report frequent verbal and physical harassment, and sexual assaults on foreign women have happened. At Dhaka and Sylhet airports, watch for passport theft, bag touts and inflated taxi fares, and book transfers in advance.

Roads, buses and ferries

WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 15.3 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2019. National figures show the trend is not improving. The regulator BRTA counted 5,490 deaths in 2025, its highest on record, while the Road Safety Foundation counted 7,359 from media reports and motorcycles were involved in about 40% of crashes. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists poor driving, unlicensed and unroadworthy vehicles, and many drivers without headlights at night.

Long-distance buses are the riskiest option: poor maintenance, no seat belts and, the FCDO says, assaults sometimes committed by crew. Trains are slow but safer; lock first-class compartments at night. River ferries are overcrowded around holidays and some carry fake safety certificates. Hire a car with a driver for intercity trips and do not drive after dark.

Health, floods and cyclones

Dengue is the main health threat. Bangladesh recorded 102,562 cases and 412 deaths in 2025, down from 1,705 deaths in 2023, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says cases are rising again, including in Dhaka. Malaria is mostly limited to the hill tracts and border areas. The FCDO calls medical facilities poor and routine tests unreliable, so serious cases usually need evacuation to Bangkok or Singapore. Air pollution in Dhaka is severe from November to March.

Bangladesh is a low-lying delta, and floods are part of most years. The monsoon from June to September brings river and flash floods, and in 2026 the FCDO noted floods and landslides in Sylhet, Cox's Bazar and the hill tracts. Cyclones strike the coast before and after the monsoon. Warnings and shelters have improved, but transport often stops.

How to stay safe in Bangladesh

• Avoid rallies, hartals and the biggest festival crowds; check local news each morning.
• Use ride-hailing apps, match the plate and driver, and do not travel alone at night.
• Travel between cities by car with a driver or by train, not by night bus.
• Use repellent day and night from May to October, and carry a basic medical kit.
• Drink only in licensed venues; illicit alcohol has caused methanol deaths.
• Save 999 for police, fire and ambulance.

How we scored it

Natural hazards (35) and health (40) are the weakest factors, followed by conflict and terrorism (45). Road safety (53) is poor but better than Vietnam or Thailand on WHO's estimate. Violent crime (72) is the strongest factor, though the 2023 homicide figure predates the rise in crime reported since 2024, so confidence is medium.