Dhaka Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Dhaka.
Dhaka runs a two-tier system. Government hospitals are cheap, crowded, inconsistent. Private hospitals in Dhanmondi, Gulshan, and Uttara match global standards and court foreigners.
Apollo Hospital on Bashundhara Road offers 24-hour emergency plus international coordinators. United Hospital in Gulshan bills insurers directly. Square Hospital in Panthapath keeps a dedicated international desk. Dhaka Shishu Hospital handles kids.
Pharmacies, green crosses on every corner, sell antibiotics without scripts. Stick to chains like ACI, Square, Incepta. Bring a doctor's note for personal meds.
Insurance is mandatory. Hospitals want upfront cash or a guarantee letter before they touch you.
- ✓ Pin your nearest 24-hour pharmacy and private hospital the moment you check in.
- ✓ Pack rehydration salts, Dhaka's heat and humidity ambush fast.
- ✓ Demand sealed water even when waiters smile and offer tap.
- ✓ Get jabbed for hepatitis A, typhoid, and Japanese encephalitis before arrival.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Dhaka's roads are a free-for-all of buses, CNGs, cycle rickshaws, bikes, and pedestrians. No rules, no mercy.
Pickpockets work markets and terminals in pairs, one distracts, one lifts.
Winter brings metallic air and 200-plus AQI.
Street food smells divine. Microbes lurk.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
Poses as staff at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, steers you to overpriced taxis, skims a commission, then the driver gouges you.
CNG or cabbie claims the meter is busted, demands 2, 3× fare.
Lobby lurkers promise export bargains on antiques or stones. You'll buy fakes at triple price.
Smart dresser claims lost wallet or needs an "emergency transfer."
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Download offline maps, Old Dhaka's alleys swallow signal.
- • Skip cycle rickshaws after dark. Slow and invisible.
- • At Sadarghat, board early and stay clear of railings where pickpockets lurk.
- • Grab a Grameenphone or Robi SIM at the airport.
- • Share live location when you wander.
- • Photograph passport and visa, stash copies in cloud and wallet.
- • Use ATMs inside malls and hotel lobbies, not sidewalk booths.
- • Carry small notes for rickshaws, big bills scream target.
- • Warn your bank before you land.
- • Ask before photographing people, near mosques or homes.
- • Shoes off in homes, mosques, some traditional restaurants.
- • Accept tea. Refusal stings.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Staring and unsolicited chat are routine. Assault is rare. Use women-only bus sections, separate queues.
- → Sit in the women's section on public buses, enforced and calmer.
- → Fake wedding ring, invented husband, works.
- → Silence beats politeness with pushy strangers.
- → Book in Gulshan or Banani where solo women are common.
- → Carry a scarf for mosques and conservative Old Dhaka streets.
Law: colonial ban on same-sex relations carries life sentences, rarely enforced, still on the books. No legal recognition of relationships or gender change. Social climate: public affection triggers backlash regardless of orientation. Same-sex friends often hold hands, normal here, confusing for visitors. Hijra culture exists. Discrimination is fierce.
- → Zero PDA.
- → Present as friends or colleagues.
- → Dating apps are bait for entrapment, avoid.
- → Contact locals only through verified international groups.
- → Research hotel reputation before booking shared rooms.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Bangladesh can't handle complex trauma. You may need a $500,000 airlift to Bangkok or Singapore. Hospitals want payment up front.
Ready to plan your trip to Dhaka?
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