US asks its citizens to exercise caution while travelling to Bangladesh due to crime, terrorism

The United States has issued a ‘Level 2’ travel advisory for Bangladesh, advising its citizens to be cautious when travelling to the country. The State Department, after a routine review that included updates on matters such as crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and short-term events, encouraged American citizens to exercise heightened caution when in Bangladesh. According to the State Department, certain areas pose an increased risk due to factors like crime, terrorism, and the upcoming general election. Also, the US recommended that its citizens reconsider travelling to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Region due to occasional communal violence, crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and other security concerns. 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.