The currency of Bangladesh is the Bangladeshi taka, denoted by the symbol “Tk” or “৳” (ISO code: BDT). Wikivoyage will use Tk in its articles to denote the currency.

The updated exchange rate can be found in the official website of the Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh. But this rate can vary in different money exchange booths.

ATMs are widely available in all cities and even smaller towns. These Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) accept all MasterCard and Visa credit/debit cards. Most international banks in the country such as Standard Chartered and Citibank rely on the Dutch-Bangla Bank Nexus ATM network for their own clients. HSBC ATMs are located at most hotels but accept only Visa debit/credit cards and HSBC GlobalAccess cards. Most ATMs are usually quite safe to use as most will be set inside a building with a security guard standing or sitting guard at the door.

POS (Point of sale) terminals are also widely available in shops and stores in all cities and even smaller towns. These machines accept all major credit and debit cards including American Express, Discover, Diners Club, JCB, MasterCard and Visa.

BY PLANE:

Air travel in Bangladesh is very affordable and convenient. There are airports in all of the division capitals and in Jessore, Cox’s Bazar and some other small cities. The national carrier is Biman Bangladesh Airlines and its also commonly known as Biman. Most of the domestic airports are served by either Biman Bangladesh Airlines or their private competitors. Biman had the interesting distinction of flying the half-hour Dhaka-Chittagong (DAC-CGP) leg (~400 km, 250 miles) on DC-10’s and Airbus A-310’s – both large wide-body jets. The DC-10’s were withdrawn is 2014.

As of 2019, Novoair, Regent Airways and US Bangla Airways are the private operators offering excellent domestic and international flights. Novoair is the latest airline to join the club and has Embraer jet aircraft giving very short flight times. Most of the private operators use the Bombardier DASH-8 aircraft.

BY HELICOPTER:

There are quite a few rotor-wing craft services available for hire in Bangladesh for tourism, MEDEVAC or Film-footage services. Any reputable travel agent will know full details. You can also check out “ATL” at nitolniloy.com or atlhelicopter.com.

BY RICKSHAW:

If you can speak Bengali fluently, rickshaws are a very authentic local drive for short distances. However, rickshaws are banned on major highways and roads. Get the fare fixed before you ride on one and make sure they understand where you want to go. Otherwise get a local to translate for you and to fix the fare beforehand.

BY BUS:

Short distance “local” Bangladeshi buses are generally crowded, often to the extent of people riding on the bus steps (entrance) and sometimes even the roof. The state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) buses usually fall into this category. Avoid all of the low cost buses – they are easy to spot by their extremely poor and battered condition. If you do use them, it is worth noting that they do not usually stop, but rather slow down slightly to let passengers on or off. Additionally, fare collectors, disconcertingly, do not wear uniform making them difficult to identify. If you do not speak Bengali fluently you may have to simply jump on the bus (literally) and asks for assistance with translations.

However, there are luxurious air conditioned bus services connecting major cities and popular tourist destinations. These long distance busses, such as Green Line, Shyamoli, SilkLine and Shohagh, usually have a couple different offices dotted around the cities they serve. Greenline has a few Scania buses running between Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar that offer a level of comfort you’ve probably never seen in a bus before – they cost about 1/3 more than their Volvo buses, but are comparable to business class on an airplane.

BY CAR:

Many ride sharing or ride hailing apps/companies provide easy and affordable travel options inside cities such as Pathao, Shohoz or Uber. Driving in Bangladesh is not for the faint hearted. The road network is fairly good, but dodging irrational bus drivers and weaving in and out of rickshaws isn’t easy on the nerves. Driving is difficult as notable by the many cars which have bumper bars that encircle the front and rear of the car. Traffic in Dhaka has reached unimaginable proportions and self-driving is definitely not advised. Parking places are non-existent. It is highly advised to hire a local driver. Night time driving is substantially more dangerous as trucks/buses often ignore smaller cars. Road travel at night should preferably be avoided. Regardless of who’s driving. If you hire a driver be sure to get a car with heavy window tinting. Traffic is slow enough that your car will likely be surrounded by pedestrians a majority of the time, and foreigners tend to attract groups of curious Bangladeshis. To avoid this level of attention, it is better if pedestrians can’t see inside the vehicle.

Officially cars drive on the left side of the road. The speed limit is 25 km/h on all urban roads, though it is highly unlikely a vehicle will even reach this speed with the traffic jams. Many traffic lights can be seen but these are often manually overridden by traffic police. Traffic police direct cars on all major intersections in urban areas. On many country roads, it is sometimes illegal to overtake but again, this is completely ignored, with locals employing extremely dangerous manoeuvres when passing the vehicle in front of them. The cities are well lit, but country roads often lack street lighting. Some new inter-city roads have tolls, especially new bridges, which are fairly inexpensive.

BY TRAIN:

Bangladesh Railways is the state and only train operator. The ticket prices are reasonable and usually similar to bus ticket prices and sometimes even cheaper. However, due to the roundabout routes and tricky river crossings, the journey durations are usually much longer. Tickets can be booked over the phone or purchased online if you have a Bangladeshi mobile phone number. If you speak Bengali, you’re likely to get better results at one of the computerized station booking offices. It is recommended to buy tickets at least ten days in advance.

Trains are generally comfortable, with more leg room than buses and tea, water, and snacks are readily available from vendors. Although some economy carriages are unclean, the AC and 1st class seats are good enough. Sulob class is the highest 2nd class ticket, with reserved seating and not much different from 1st class (except in price).

Kamlapur Rail Station in Dhaka is large and modern. It serves all major cities but due to the existence of both broad gauge and meter gauge tracks around the country, it may be necessary to change trains en route.

BY BOAT:

There are over 230 mighty and small rivers throughout the country, and boats and ferries are an integral part of travel for locals and tourists alike. A journey along the river in any mode is probably the best way to see Bangladesh. There are a number of private tour operators offering river sightseeing trips of various lengths, or using the ferries to get between cities is a great way to see the country at a moderate pace.

The Rocket Steamer service connects Dhaka and Morrelganj or Khulna via Barisal, and is a fantastic way to enjoy riverine Bangladesh, for those who prefer the scenic route. The 4 ferries are operated by BIWTC. It’s advisable to book several days in advance if possible (available online through Shohoz). While there are several different classes it’s unlikely that you will end up in anything but 1st or 2nd class. Both of these consist of around 10 small berths on the upper deck of the boat with 2 beds each and a sink (no doubt doubling as a urinal), and fairly clean shared bathrooms. Some solo travellers pay for the whole cabin with two beds. Some are lucky to get and pay for just one bed. There’s a central dining/sitting room in each class with a chef cooking Bengali meals and the odd fish-and-chips or an omelette for around Tk 50-150. Cheaper food can be bought at the vendors in the lower classes on the bottom level. First class is at the front of the boat, with the bow made into a nice sitting area. The journey is better avoided during the rainy seasons and during holidays when the launches get overcrowded with home-returning city dwellers. The more eco-friendly may prefer to take their trash off with them: otherwise, it’s likely to end up in the river at the end of the journey. As of December 2018, there are two routes available:

• Dhaka – Morrelganj, operated several times per week in each direction. In the direction to Dhaka, the ferry leaves Hularhat at 14:00 and arrives to Dhaka next day in the morning. Fares from Dhaka, as of February 2015 (1st/2nd class): to Barisal Tk 2310/1260, to Hularhat Tk 3124/1710, to Morrelganj Tk 3740/2100.
  
• Dhaka – Khulna, formerly operated almost daily, but now probably only once per week in each direction. If you are traveling from Khulna, the ferries leave on Thursdays, while most of the other days you can travel on land to Hularhat and board the ferry coming at 14:00 from Morrelganj. The full journey from Khulna takes anywhere from 26 to 30 hours.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) also operates many other ferries that may be useful for smaller distances. BIWTC is a government organisation.

EAT:

Bangladesh is a fish lover’s paradise. Traditionally most of the country lives off of the once-bountiful fresh-water river fish, especially the officially designated “national fish” Hilsa. The Hilsa has a nice flavour but some may find the many fine bones difficult to manage; if you can master eating this fish, consider yourself on par with the locals in fish-eating and deboning expertise. Various recipes exist for cooking Hilsa, suitable for all seasons and all regions of the country. Mutton is also popular, as in most Muslim countries, as is decidedly lean or hard chicken. Rice is almost always the staple side dish. Due to Muslim beliefs, pork is a banned item in Bangladesh and is neither consumed nor sold. However it is found and consumed in non-Muslim areas.

Mixed vegetable curries are plentiful – potato, eggplant, squash and tomatoes are the staple ingredients. Gourds, tubers and certain root vegetables are common. In the major cities (Dhaka, Chittagong, etc.), you will find a larger variety of vegetables than in rural areas.

The idea of salad varies from the international standard. In Bangladesh, salad has not been extensively developed, and “kacha” (raw) vegetables are generally not deemed very appetizing or palatable (with the exception of cucumbers), especially in more rural or suburban areas and in less Westernized households. Traditionally, most salad vegetables (carrots, celery, lettuce, paprika, etc.) were not even grown in most agrarian households, so the use of these vegetables was extremely rare. Hence, borrowing from the Mughal traditions, a few round slices of onions and cucumbers, spiced with salt, chilies, etc., is often treated as a full plate of salad.

Dal is usually a given side dish or meal course for all households, even the poorest or most rural (who often cannot afford any other daily meal courses). Most Bangladeshi dal varies from its West Bengali counterpart, and even more so from its other Indian counterparts, primarily because it is more watery and less concentrated or spiced. An easy analogy would be that whereas most Indian dal is more like thick stew, most Bangladeshi dal is more like light soup or broth. The Hindus of Bangladesh have greater varieties of Dal recipes, just as they have greater varieties of vegetarian dishes. The Muslims have thicker and more spiced varieties of dal. Dal recipes vary regionally in Bangladesh, so be careful not to over-generalize after a brief experience.

Boiled eggs (deem) are a popular snack (Tk 10-15), and fresh fruit is abundant, such as bananas (Tk 5-7/each), apples (Chinese, Tk 100-150/kg), oranges, grapes, pomegranates and papayas. Delicious and diverse, mangos (Tk 25-90/kg in summer) are a very popular fruit throughout Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi cuisine also offers a variety of desserts called sweetmeat in general, including lal jaam, shondesh, chomchom (pictured), etc.

Fast food restaurants and bakeries serving burgers, kababs, spring rolls, vegetable patties and just about anything else you can throw in a deep fryer are dotted around most cities. Most items will run around Tk 30-120/each. Bangladesh also has many international fast food chains like Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC, A&W, Nando’s, etc.

To enjoy the tastes of Dhaka one needs to go to old Dhaka. The Haji biriyani, Nanna biriyani are a must. Also Al Razzak restaurant is famous for its Shahi food. To savour local food one must go to Korai Gost at Dhanmondi Satmosjid road, Kasturi restaurant at Gulshan & Purana Paltan area. No one should leave Bangladesh without tasting the Phuchka and Chatpati available in the streets of Dhaka,Chittagong. Also there are loads of Chinese and Thai restaurants in Bangladesh which serve localized Chinese and thai dishes. Bailey road in Dhaka is the unofficial food street of the nation followed by Satmoshjid Road. Dhaka also has Japanese, Korean and Indian restaurants located mostly in Gulshan area. For world class ice creams try Movenpick or Club Gelato in Gulshan. To taste kebab, Babecue tonight in Dhanmondi is the best followed by Koyla in Gulshan.

Similar to neighboring countries, most Bangladeshis eat with their right hand. Never use your left hand to bring food to your mouth, though it’s alright to use it for bringing a glass to your mouth. Every restaurant will have a handwashing station and you should use this before and after the meal. Even if there isn’t running water, a pitcher of water and a bowl will be offered. To eat with your hand, rake in a little portion of the rice and a bit of the curry to an open space on your plate (usually create a bit of space on the side of the plate closest to you, sufficiently inward from the rim but NOT in the center of the plate), and mix the rice and curry with your fingers. Then, create a little ball or mound (it should be compact and modestly sized, but does not need to be perfectly shaped or anything—function over form!) of the mixture and pick it up with all your fingers, and scoop in into your mouth. Your fingers should not enter your mouth in the process, and your upper fingers and palms should not get dirty either. Only toddlers and foreigners/tourists are exempted from these rules. It doesn’t matter a whole lot if you don’t get it all exactly right, but know that the entire restaurant is watching and waiting to see if you do. Attempting to eat with your hands and failing miserably will raise many a smile. The use of cutlery (except serving spoons for common dishes) is lacking in rural areas and poorer households. Basic cutlery (i.e., spoons, forks) is always available in urban restaurants and more Westernized, urban households. However, the use of hands is a more humble and culturally respectful gesture, especially from a tourist.

Table-sharing is acceptable and even expected in most establishments, with the exception of nicer urban restaurants. Many places have separate curtained-off booths for women and families, a nice reprieve from prying eyes.

DRINK:

Being a secular Muslim majority country, alcohol consumption is frowned upon. However it is found mostly in the international clubs, luxury hotels and pricier restaurants in Dhaka and in some restaurants in tourist centers like Cox’s Bazar. In Teknaf and on Saint Martins Island you may stumble upon the occasional beer smuggled in from Myanmar. Some of the nicest hotels in the cities have fully equipped bars with exaggerated prices to match. However, lack of commercial availability of liquor should not always be confused with cultural aversion to alcohol in mainstream society. You’ll likely find that Bengali Christians and many urbanized, upper-class Muslims privately have a more liberal, Westernized attitude toward social consumption of alcohol. However most 5-star hotels like Radisson, Sheraton. Shonargoan, Regency etc. and few clubs in Gulshan, hold DJ dance parties on frequent basis. Foreigners may bump into one of those parties if they are lucky. Usual entrance fees of such parties are around Tk 2000. Young people of upper class and higher uper class of the society are the main portion of the formed crowd. However in some places, western clothed hired companions are available. Foreigners looking for a clean vacation should stay away from them using common sense. Alcoholic drinks are rare.

Coffee is a perennial middle-class ‘Adda’ (gossip) accompaniment in this city. A popular chain is ‘Coffeeworld’ , of which there are several in Dhaka. Instant coffee is widely available.

Tea is everywhere. Ask for red tea if you do not want milk.

Fruit juices are plentiful, varied and delicious, though be wary of watered down or icy drinks and dirty blenders. Raw sugarcane juice is widely available during the hot season, and usually safe, as are coconuts, which are widely available.

Smoking in public places is prohibited. You may be be fined Tk 50 for smoking publicly.

There’s a broad range of hotels in the country, from economy hotels costing US$1 per night (sometimes filthy and reluctant to take foreigners) up to 5-star hotels in some of the major cities.

Aarong is one of the largest and most popular handicraft and traditional clothing outlets with stores in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Khulna. It’s a great place for souvenirs or to pick up a stylish punjabi, kurta or salwar kameez at fixed prices. Women can find a cotton shalwar kameez for around Tk 400 in a market or Tk 800-1500 in a shop. Silk is more expensive. Bangladesh has some of the largest shopping malls in the world, especially the ones located in Dhaka City, like Jamuna Future Park and Bashundhara City Shopping Complex.

Bangladesh is the world’s second largest ready-made garment and apparel manufacturer and exporter, producing clothing for famous brands such as Nike, Adidas and Levis. Though these products are usually not meant for sale in the local markets, they can be found in abundance in famous shopping areas such as Banga Bazaar and around Dhaka College. In most stores, prices are not fixed. Even the stores that display ‘fixed-price’ label tolerate bargaining. Prices can thus be lowered quite considerably. If bargaining is not your strong point ask a local in the vicinity politely what they think you should pay. There are lots of handicraft and boutique shops. There are numerous shopping malls in and around Dhaka and Chittagong. Foreigners will usually be changed a higher cost, however you will not usually be priced gouged, with what you are changed usually being only slightly more than what the locals would pay. The price difference for small items is often only a matter of a few US cents.