We advise against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts. This does not include the city of Chittagong or other parts of Chittagong Division. If you propose to visit the Chittagong Hill Tracts you must give the Bangladeshi authorities ten days’ notice of your travel plans.
Demonstrations and protests are frequent, and can occur without notice. Serious violent disorder has claimed hundreds of lives across the country since 28 February. Travel in the cities and around the country can be severely disrupted.
There are regular enforced strikes, known locally as hartals. These can quickly turn violent and may include burning buses, attacks on property, road blocks and confrontation with the police. At least 20 lives are reported to have been lost in politically-related disorder since Friday 25 October.
The 18-Party Opposition Alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has called an 84-hour nationwide hartal commencing at 6:00am local time on Sunday 10 November and ending at 6:00pm local time on Wednesday 13 November in pursuit of political demands.
If you’re intending to travel to Bangladesh, even if you’re a regular visitor with family or business links, you should follow developments in the news media, and consult this travel advice regularly.