Violence, Crime & Kidnapping Fears: US Issues Level 3 Travel Warning for Bangladesh

Washington: The United States has updated its travel advisory for Bangladesh , asking American citizens to reconsider travelling to the country due to rising security concerns.

The US government issued a Level 3 alert for Bangladesh, which means “reconsider travel”. A Level 4 alert, which means “do not travel”, was also issued for some specific regions in the country.

According to the advisory, the US government has also issued a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" warning for certain areas, particularly the Chittagong Hill Tracts region. This includes the districts of Khagrachari, Rangamati, and Bandarban, which have seen incidents of terrorism, communal unrest, and political violence.

The updated advisory, issued on April 18, cites threats such as IED blasts, active shootings, and kidnappings, some of which targeted religious minorities or arose from personal disputes.

Do Not Travel Advisory Issued for Chittagong Hills

The US State Department has barred its own employees from visiting the Chittagong Hill Tracts. It said prior permission from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs is required for any travel to this region. The advisory stated, “Do not travel to these areas for any reason.”

While the situation in the rest of Bangladesh has become relatively calm after an interim government took charge in mid-2024, the US government still warned that political protests can turn violent without warning. The advisory also mentioned that crimes like pickpocketing, mugging, assault, and drug-related offences are common in large cities. Foreigners are not specifically targeted but can become victims of such crimes.

Another concern raised was the limited emergency support available to US citizens, especially outside the capital city of Dhaka. The advisory said that due to poor infrastructure, travel restrictions, and limited resources from the local government, providing emergency assistance might be difficult in rural or remote areas.

“The U.S. government may have limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Bangladesh, particularly outside of Dhaka, due to these travel restrictions, a lack of infrastructure, and limited host government emergency response resources,” the advisory said.

The US government urged its citizens to remain alert at all times, avoid public gatherings, and read the complete advisory carefully before planning any travel to Bangladesh.