Dhaka Travel Risk — Elevated Risk (53/100)
Is Dhaka safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Dhaka scores 53/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Bangladesh Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 30 Jul 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country (updated 9 Oct 2026); Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Government advisory (score 45)
Transport safety (score 60)
October 1, 2026
Dhaka, Bangladesh has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 53 out of 100 (elevated risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is transport safety at 60/100; the lowest-rated category is government advisory at 45/100; last updated October 1, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the Bangladesh travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Dhaka to visit in 2026?
Dhaka currently sits at 53/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the elevated-risk tier. Travelers should plan more carefully than the global average — read the Actions section below before booking. The highest-rated risk category for Dhaka is transport safety (60/100), and the lowest is government advisory (45/100). This page was last updated on October 1, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (63/100) and natural hazards (69/100).
A score of 53 is higher than 69% of the cities we score.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 16, 2026
Dhaka, Bangladesh currently maintains a baseline composite safety score of 53 out of 100, indicating an elevated risk with a US State Department advisory level of 2 and a CDC Level 1 dengue notice. Recent headlines highlight governmental assurances and concerns regarding minority safety and regional security.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 17:23 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Transport safety (score 60/100): Use the safest available transit. For high-risk routes, prefer reputable carriers and avoid late-night driving.
- Environmental quality (score 55/100): Check air-quality forecasts. If sensitive, pack a mask and adjust outdoor activity. Hydration is critical in heat.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Dhaka
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Exercise heightened caution even during daylight hours. Stick to primary thoroughfares, travel in groups where possible, and avoid navigating quiet residential side-streets alone.
Nighttime movement carries significant risk. Strictly avoid solo walking after dark; rely exclusively on hotel-arranged transportation or registered radiotaxis, and confirm destination security before leaving your accommodation.
Safety by Traveler Type in Dhaka
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Solo travelers
Crime risk is elevated. Solo travelers should avoid quiet areas at night, keep a charged phone and offline map, and share a live location with someone.
Women traveling solo
General crime risk is elevated. Plan arrivals in daylight, avoid isolated areas, and prefer accommodation with 24h reception. We do not hold gender-specific incident data for Dhaka, so also check the live official advisory above and local women-traveler communities.
Families with children
Health/disaster risk is elevated. Confirm medical-evacuation cover, identify hospitals near your accommodation, and check seasonal hazard (storm/heat/quake) before you book.
Older travelers
Health/transport risk is elevated. Confirm medical-evacuation cover, plan rest between transfers, and locate English-capable medical care on arrival.
Business travelers
Digital/money risk is elevated. Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive work, use a VPN, watch for card-skimming at ATMs, and carry minimal cash.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Dhaka for lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 45/100 · Political 45/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
View complete category score breakdown & baseline metrics
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | medium |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | medium |
| Night safety | medium |
| Last updated | October 1, 2026 |
Live conditions in Dhaka
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Official travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Bangladesh - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Most flood events within 100 km of Dhaka happened in October (2 of 3 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
1 major seismic event recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M5.5 on 2 Dec 2023 (85 km away) — USGS details
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Bangladesh travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Bangladesh entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-16 07:26:45 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Dhaka
The most weather-stable two-month window for Dhaka is December–January, when typical daily temperatures run from about 14°C to 25°C and monthly rain averages 12 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include heavy rain season in May–September; monsoon in May–October. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 9, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in Dhaka
Dhaka has 9 hospitals, 10 police stations, 5 embassies, 9 pharmacies and 5 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: Ahmed Specialized Hospital, Mazed Sardar Road, Nimtoli Ln, Dhaka
- Hospital: Arafat General Hospital
- Hospital: Azimpur Maternity Hospital
- Hospital: Burn & Plastic Surgery Unit, Hospital, Secretariate Road, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka
- Hospital: Chowdhury General Hospital, Nazimuddin Rd, Dhaka
- Hospital: Dhaka Medical College Hospital
- Hospital: Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Government hospital, Secretariat Rd, Dhaka
- Hospital: Diabetic Hospital
- Hospital: Royal Care & Surgical Hospital, Hussaini Dalan Rd, Dhaka
- Police: Chalk Bazar Model Thana
- Police: Chalk Bazar Model Thana (AC & ADC Office)
- Police: Dhaka Metropolitan Police
- Police: National Security Intelligence Bangladesh
- Police: Nelkhet Police Station
- Police: Police Box
- Police: Ramna Police Fari
- Police: science lab police box
- Police: Shahbag Thana
- Police: Shahbagh Police Station
- Embassy: British Council
- Embassy: Embassy of Greece
- Embassy: Embassy of Libya
- Embassy: High Commission of India
- Embassy: Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic
- Pharmacy: Akhi Medicine Corner
- Pharmacy: Al Medical Pharma, Pharmacy, Nazimuddin Rd, Charkarpul
- Pharmacy: Avijat Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Dhaka Unani Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: M/S. Rohid Medicine Corner, Pharmacy, D.C.C Market, Dhaka Medical College Hospital Gate-2, Dhaka
- Pharmacy: Nafisa Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Nirupoma Oushod ghor, Zahir Raihan Rd, Dhaka
- Pharmacy: Square apharmacy
- Pharmacy: Wellbeing
- Fire station: Fire Service & Civil Defence
- Fire station: Fire Service & Civil Defence
- Fire station: Hazaribag Fire Station
- Fire station: Lalbagh Fire Station
- Fire station: Mosque of Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence Headquarter, Kazi Alauddin Rd, Dhaka
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (Bangladesh)
| Police | 999 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 999 |
| Fire | 999 |
| General | 999 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Medical access
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | medium |
| Emergency response | low |
| English-speaking care | unknown |
| Evacuation complexity | medium |
Healthcare infrastructure and emergency response capabilities vary across the city due to overcrowding and urban congestion. Travelers should verify international health coverage and identify major medical facilities prior to arrival.
Common scam patterns
- Digital Scams and Financial Fraud. Bangladesh has lost significant amounts to digital scams, multi-level marketing (MLM) Ponzi schemes, and corporate fraud. Travelers should remain vigilant against online financial crimes and fraudulent payment requests. Tip: Avoid making advance payments to unverified online sellers and use secure, trusted payment methods.
- Extortion and Crime. Extortion, pickpocketing, mugging, theft, and drug-related offenses are notable concerns across different parts of the city. Overcrowding in Dhaka makes it challenging for law enforcement to monitor every neighbourhood effectively. Tip: Keep valuables secure and remain alert in crowded public areas and unfamiliar districts.
Area notes
- Dhaka. Traffic congestion is severe and the city has experienced violent clashes, protests, roadblocks, and checkpoints during periods of civil unrest.
- Tantibazar. A district in Dhaka noted in recent police reports regarding criminal activity and high-profile escapes.
- Uttara. Located near Zia International Airport, serving as an entry point for international flights.
- Tantibazar. An area noted in recent local crime and police investigations regarding high-profile incidents.
Nearest embassies & consulates
Find your home country's diplomatic mission in Bangladesh for consular support, lost passports, or citizen emergencies:
Run a personalized assessment for Dhaka
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 7, 2026 | 52 → 53 | elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Oct 7, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| Oct 6, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| Oct 1, 2026 | 54 → 52 | elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 51 → 54 | elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| May 15, 2026 | — → 51 | elevated | Data update Editorial baseline 2026-05-14 (round 2: Numbeo + WHO + State Dept + GPI + EPI references) |
Every editorial change to Dhaka's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
Been to Dhaka? Share your experience
Share your first-hand experience in Dhaka
Help other travellers stay safe. Share recent observations regarding street safety, transit, scams, or neighbourhood conditions. All submissions are moderated before publishing.
Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
View full data sources, coverage scope, and registry notes
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Dhaka
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Dhaka, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
Popular travel-safety searches right now
Cities our visitors look up most frequently — useful for trip planning, comparison, or just curiosity.
PAGE LAST UPDATED:
Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.