US issues Level 2 advisory for B'desh, urges citizens to exercise caution

The United States Thursday issued a 'Level 2' travel advisory for Bangladesh, urging its citizens to exercise caution while travelling to the country.

Reissued after a periodic review with updates regarding crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and short-term events, the State Department urged its citizens to exercise increased caution in Bangladesh. Some areas have increased risk due to crime, terrorism and the upcoming general election, the State Department said.

The US also urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Chittagong Hill Tracts Region due to occasional communal violence, crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and other security risks.

Travellers 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, said the State Department.

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, it said.

The next general election is anticipated to occur before January 2024, and political party rallies and other election-related activities have already commenced. Political rallies and demonstrations may be held with increasing frequency or intensity as the general election draws nearer, said the State Department.

Travellers to Bangladesh should practice vigilance and remember that demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence, it said.

Due to security concerns, U.S. government employees in Bangladesh are subject to some movement and travel restrictions. The US government may have limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in Bangladesh due to these travel restrictions, a lack of infrastructure, and limited host government emergency response resources, it said.