Getting There and Away
Posted on 18. Feb, 2010 by Mikey Leung in 3. Dhaka
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For information on international destinations/arrivals, see Chapter 2, Getting there and away , pages 000-000.
By Air
Zia International Airport lies about 8km from the main embassy and commercial districts of Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara, and about twice that distance to Old Dhaka. At the time of research, the facility was getting a serious facelift, all of it funded by Bangladesh’s major mobile-phone operators. Nevertheless, the moment you step out of the air-conditioned terminal building for the first time, you’ll still be greeted with the shocking site of hundreds of people looking at you through a guarded security cage – welcome to your first sight of ‘the real Bangladesh’.
The airport has a smaller domestic wing and a larger international one, with departures going upstairs, and new arrivals being greeted with a rather striking security cage downstairs. For a Tk200 entry fee, family and friends can wait inside the immediate arrivals area (ticket booths are on either entrance of the security cage). The international departure terminal features free internet terminals with spotty broadband service and an internet café where you can hook up your laptop, plus the Omni bookstore. Most of the restaurants are either terrible or overpriced, but at least you can snack on something to kill time. There is a currency-exchange service plus a Dutch-Bangla Banking Ltd (DBBL) ATM available in the international arrivals area, but do be warned that local taxi drivers often claim they have no bantey (small change) for Tk500 notes. Ask for small change at the exchangers.
Airport transfers
If you are being met by hosts, you should wait on the inside of the security cage as outside vehicles can be driven in to load your luggage and trolleys can’t leave the caged area. If arriving independently, leave the caged area and taxi drivers will find you well before you locate them. Fares vary considerably depending on the vehicle and your haggling skills/patience. It is best to see the vehicle first and then settle on a price. Judge by the number of other taxis waiting around and if they are numerous, then it should be easy to get a decent price. A pre-arranged transfer is recommended if arriving late at night, and most mid-range guesthouses do arrange this, with many even including it in their room rates. Otherwise you could try the airport pickup service of Hertz Rent-A-Car (tel: 988 3411; e-mail: info@ipsslgroup.com; www.ispplgroup.com), which will set you back Tk1,000 for the Gulshan/Banani/Baridhara areas. There is also a ‘meet and greet’ service being offered by UK-based tour operator Tiger Trails (Hse 7, Rd 19/A, Sec 4, Uttara; tel: 893 1108, 892 3795; mobile: 01713 067848; e-mail: info@thetigertrail.com; www.thetigertrail.com) that can arrange to assist newly arrived guests, for a Tk200 service fee. Most other tour operators will offer an airport transfer for Tk1,000 and up (for further details, see Chapter 2, Tour operators, page 000).
Taxi fares to Gulshan/Banani should cost no more than Tk150, and if you really feel like saving money, find a green baby taxi (known locally as CNGs) whose driver is willing to use the meter. This should cost around Tk80–100 for Gulshan/Banani. If you want the best prices possible, walk out from the terminal towards Airport Road, where there are regular public buses and baby taxis departing from the neighbouring train station for slightly lower fares.
Conversely, fares to the airport depend on the taxi’s quality. Yellow Navana (tel: 955 8065) taxis are the most expensive, and everything else can and should be judged by its cover (ie: the more battered-looking the vehicle is, the lower the price). When departing past midnight, it is best to hire a private vehicle whenever possible as finding a taxi on Dhaka’s deserted streets can be difficult and perhaps dangerous.
Regular domestic flights travel to Chittagong (Tk5,495, including taxes), Sylhet (Tk5,395), Jessore (Tk4,895), Barisal (Tk4,495), Cox’s Bazaar (Tk7,495) and some – times Saidpur (Tk5,495). Tickets can be purchased on arrival at the airport but if it’s anywhere near Bangladesh’s holiday seasons you’re better off booking first. Schedules for domestic flights change according to the winter/summer seasons so do check.
Airlines
- Biman Bangladesh Biman Bhaban, 100 Motijheel C/A; tel: 955 3206, 716 8829; tel: 955 4783; www.bimanair.com. Sometimes offers high-season flights to Chittagong & Cox’s Bazaar.
- Royal Bengal Airlines Hse 56C, Rd 132, Gulshan 1; tel: 988 2211; www.royalbengalairline.com. Flying to Chittagong & Cox’s Bazaar at the time of research, although they were expected to expand domestic operations.
- GMG Airlines Banani: ABC Hse (Ground Fl), 8 Kamal Ataturk Av, Banani; tel: 886 0935; Motijheel: Suite 1303, Senakalayan Bhaban, 195 Motijheel C/A; tel: 711 4155–7; Sonargaon Hotel: 107 Kazi Nazrul Av; tel: 812 7372; Airport: tel: 896 0404, 891 5699, 891 7221, 812 7742; www.gmgairlines.com. The oldest private operator.
- United Airways Corporate Office: 5th Fl, Uttara Tower, 1 Jasimuddin Av, Uttara; tel: 893 2338, 893 1712; f 893 2339; Airport Domestic Terminal; tel: 895 7640, 896 3191; m 01713 486660; Gulshan: Shop 219–221, Taher Tower, Gulshan 2 Circle; tel: 885 4769, 885 4697, 886 1935; m 01713 486659; Kawran Bazaar: Shop 3, Level 2, Unique Trade Centre, 8 Pantha Path; tel: 913 8238, 815 8046; m 01713 486658; Paltan: Oriental Trade Centre, 2nd Fl, 69/1 Purana Paltan Line; tel: 935 2647, 935 2648; m 01713 486657; e-mail: info@uabdl.com; www.uabdl.com. Offers the most comprehensive domestic service for now. Let’s see if they can keep it going.
By charter flight
You have two options if you want to charter a flight: helicopter or seaplane. Aero Technologies (Hse 347, Ln 5, DOHS Baridhara; tel: 882 9525, 986 3035; mobile: 01711 520359) offers a charter helicopter service, costing Tk140,000 or US$2,000 per hour.
In a country that is over 50% flooded during the monsoon season, it makes sense to take a seaplane if you want to reach destinations as quickly as possible. Mission Aviation Fellowship Bangladesh (Hse 299, Ln 4, DOHS Baridhara; tel: 881 0164; f 881 0165; emergency m: 01711 533333; e-mail: bd-bookings@maf.org; www.mafbangladesh.org) provides just that service. Chartered departures are said to cost at least Tk90,000 or US$1,200 per hour, but these prices could vary depending on destination.
By Train
Bangladesh’s aging railway system remains quite comprehensive, with journeys proving scenic and relaxing compared with the bat-out-of-hell buses careening over the country’s highways. The Bangladesh Railway website (www.railway.gov.bd) used to be easy to browse, although it’s now suffering from a lack of upkeep. You can look up departure and arrival times by city.
Trains depart from two locations in Dhaka because there is a different gauge system in place. All trains to destinations east of the Jamuna River depart from Kamlapur Station via the Airport Railway Station. All trains to destinations west of the Jamuna depart from the Dhaka Cantonment Railway Station.
The easiest way to catch eastbound trains is to look up your destination first and then catch the train from the Airport Railway Station (see above for airport transfer information). Head to the airport but instead of turning left at the airport crossing, you’ll see the train station less than 100m further ahead on the right, marked by a pedestrian overpass. Departure times listed below are from Kamlapur Station, but all trains pass by the Airport Railway Station anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes after the times listed below.
For westbound trains, head to the slightly closer Dhaka Cantonment Railway Station [000 00], which is just north of Baridhara DOHS residential area, about a 20-minute ride from Gulshan 2 when the traffic is good.
Seat tickets for short-haul journeys can be purchased on arrival, but berth tickets should be booked in advance. It can be quite difficult to get first-class air conditioned tickets as these are often reserved for travelling government officials until the very last day. For a service fee, tour operators can purchase tickets for you and take the hassle out of your journey. Otherwise you can go to one of the train stations first to pick up your ticket – Kamlapur, Banani Train Station and the Airport Railway Station all sell tickets for journeys from Dhaka. Kolkata tickets must be purchased from a special window at the Kamlapur Railway Station, even though the train departs from the Dhaka Cantonment Station.
Robberies have occurred at train stations. Two French travellers were mugged when they were taken to a private station waiting room and drugged when they were given drinks. They later woke up with all their valuables stolen. It is best to politely decline food or drink from strangers at the station unless you see it being prepared yourself.
The box on page 000 gives the train schedules, which may be subject to change. Do note that some of these trains have off days, where they do not run. Mail trains are slightly slower, but that doesn’t make much difference if it’s an overnight train, and usually have sleeper cars attached.
Rail Time Tables
Express trains for the eastern cities (From kamalpur rialway station: Add 20 minutes if departing from the airport railway station)
Drutazan Express 49 Mymensingh Balaka Express None 10.30 14.30 Departing from Dhaka (Cantonment Railway Station) 726 Khulna Sundarban Provati Thursday 06.30 17.00 764 Khulna Sundarban Nishitha Monday 19.20 05.55 753 Rajshahi Silk City Express Sunday 15.00 20.50 759 Rajshahi Padma Express Tuesday 23.45 05.35
GETTING TO INDIA
Siliguri Shyamoli Paribahan
(departs Kamlapur Railway Station at 21.00 and transits through Gabtali Bus Station about 22.00;tel: 836 0241) Operates a nightly service to Siliguri in conjunction with the BRTC, which is the eastern gateway to Nepal, Darjeeling or Sikkim. The bus arrives at the Burimari border at about 06.00. Customs clearance takes a few more hours, and about 15 hours later you arrive in Siliguri. Tickets can be purchased from any Shyamoli Paribahan office but it’s probably easiest to meet the bus as it leaves the city from Gabtali Bus Station. There’s also a Shyamoli Paribahan office just north of Asad Gate in Mohammadpur.
Kolkata Shyamoli
(departs Kamlapur Railway Station;tel: 933 3803) Also operates a service similar to its Siliguri trip, bound for Kolkata. Advance ticket purchase is recommended but not required. You can also use Green Line, Shohagh or Soudia S Alam services. The latter companies require you to switch buses after crossing the border at Benapol. The journey takes 11–12 hours, 3 of which are spent tussling with customs at both sides of the border, but it’s a cheap way to go. Purchase your ticket at the Kalabagan bus counters at Russell Square in Dhanmondi.
Agartala
This border is the closest destination for long-term expats who reside in the odd situation of having year-long visas, but maximum stays of three or six months. If you need to exit and re-enter the country this is the easiest place to go and the round trip only requires a day. You can catch any eastbound train (the Upakul Express headed for Noakhali is recommended; it departs from Kamlapur at 07.00, and arrives in Akhaura at 09.30). You’ll also need to stop off and pay a Tk300 departure tax at Akhaura before the border formalities. After a few hours of exploring Agartala, you can catch the Upakul Express as it returns to Dhaka at 17.40 from Akhaura.
For the Maitree Express service connecting Dhaka and Kolkata by train, see Chapter 2, Getting there and away, page 000.
By Bus
Dhaka has several bus stands and companies spread around the city. Which bus station and which company you choose depends on where you want to go.
For travellers heading to the major cities (Khulna, Jessore, Rajshahi, Bogra, Rangpur, Sylhet, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazaar), the most convenient option is to head to Kalabagan on Pantha Path and take your pick of the several coach companies that have offices here (unless you happen to be staying closer to Old Dhaka, in which case you’ll want to go to Arambag near the Kamlapur Railway Station). The company will then shuttle you to their main bus station or the bus will pass by Kalabagan on its way out of town.
Travellers heading to smaller cities need to choose from the three main bus stations: Gabtali and Kallyanpur bus stations for destinations northwest and southwest CNB the names Gabtali and Kallyanpur are used interchangeably, Mohakhali for cities in Dhaka Division or Sayedabad for anything heading south (eg: Barisal), southeast (Chittagong) or northeast (Srimongol). One exception is if you’re heading to Sonargaon or Comilla – this bus departs from the Gulistan bus stand. The choice of vehicle for these cities is often a little less enticing, and if your destination is on a major route to somewhere else, it is advisable to try to take an air-conditioned coach if you can, simply because the drivers are safer.
Luxury air-conditioned bus services usually cost between Tk500 and Tk1,000, depending on where you’re headed. Otherwise, non air-conditioned bus services to the more remote cities and towns usually stay under Tk500. You can call the counters listed below and shop around, although because competition is stiff there won’t be much difference between companies.
For places more off the beaten track, read the relevant Getting there and away information to figure out which bus is best for where you’re headed.
By Launch Boat
One of Dhaka’s great pleasures is to cruise away from the city on a launch in the fading hues of a Sadarghat sunset. In a country of rivers, launch travel is the way in this unique feature of the Bangladeshi landscape. Every evening, up to a dozen launch vessels, some easily four decks high, depart from the boat terminal for the south’s major cities. The journeys can be long, but that’s really quite the point of the adventure. There’s very little to do other than read a book in the evening and wake up at your destination the next morning. Power is available so laptops can also be used, but do bring a plug adaptor.
For the ordinary traveller, your key destinations are Patuakhali (for its proximity to the beach at Kuakata), Khulna or Mongla via the Rocket (as a logical launching point for ventures into the Sundarbans – see below) and Barisal (as a base from which to experience one of the hundreds of islands and chars of Bangladesh’s south, most of which will be disappearing in the sea-level-rising scenario). Bhola might also prove to be an interesting destination, although the island is absolutely massive to cross from one end to the other. Unless it’s holiday season in Bangladesh, arriving by 17.00 should allow enough time to locate the necessary launch and a cabin for the evening. For extra certainty, it may be best to book the ticket ahead of time – call the following booking numbers on the day of departure to reserve a cabin and confirm its price. Asking a Bengali speaker to help you book is wise.
Kalabagan bus counters (aka Russell Square)
- Green Line Lake Circus Rd; tel: 911 2287. Recommended for transport to main divisional cities (Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet) & also offers a service to Bogra, Rangpur & Natore. Also offers upper-class ‘Scania’ service to Cox’s Bazaar & Chittagong.
- Neptune Russell Sq; tel: 912 3092. Good at a pinch for Chittagong & Cox’s Bazaar services, but vehicles not as top-notch as others.
- Shohagh 64/3 Lake Circus Rd; tel: 812 6293. A major company but lacking English speakers.
- Silk Line 64/7 Lake Circus Rd; tel: 914 3372; mob: 01713 093433; 99 Sukrabad; tel: 812 0382; mob: 01714 087564. The recommended bus company for Chittagong & Cox’s Bazaar, has a ‘Saloon’ luxury bus service with leather seats. Tickets Tk600 for Chittagong & Tk900 for Cox’s Bazaar. Saloon service extra.
- Soudia S Alam 13/1 West Panthapath; mob: 01197 015632–4. Newest competitor on the scene, featuring Mercedes Benz-built buses.
Arambag, Rajarbagh and Sayedabad counters
- Green Line 9/2 Outer Circular Rd, Momenbagh, Rajarbagh; tel: 833 1302–4, 835 3004–5, 934 2580; mob: 01817 043704. All Green Line buses depart from here & so check your departure time depending on where you’re catching the bus.
- Silk Line 167/8 Circular Rd; tel: 710 2461, 719 1253; mob: 01714 087563, 01819 202028; 61/1-B Sayedabad; mob: 01714 087566.
- Soudia S Alam 2 Baitul Aman Jame Mosque Market, Motijheel Circular Rd; mob: 01197 015636–8.
Baridhara
- Green Line Nadda Counter, Pragati Sharani Rd; mob: 01912 407157. A convenient place to buy tickets for luxury bus transport out of Dhaka, but you’ll still need to get to a different location to catch the bus, based on where you’re headed. At least this ticket counter is close to Gulshan. The counter is located on the east side of Pragati Sharani, on the northeast corner of the Baridhara residential area. See the map on page 000 for the exact location as Pragati Sharani is a very long road.
Uttara
- Green Line Uttara; mob: 01716 976775.
- Neptune Uttara; tel: 896 0993; mob: 01712 924641.
- Silk Line Hse 4, Rd 12; mob: 01716 308505, 01915 045586.
DISCOVERING BANGLADESH’S RIVERS
Journalist Christian Walsh once wrote that: ‘Leaving Dhaka is an involuntary experience. It spits you out.’ As we idled amidst the seething toxic clouds of a Dhaka traffic jam – in an open-air baby taxi, no less – it was akin to being lodged in the phlegm of the city’s toxic throat, preparing to be hawked out with projectile force.
It was Gulistan, and we were standing still. Translated as ‘fragrant garden’, the ‘stan is a necessary rite of passage to reach Sadarghat (shod-or-ghat), the city’s heaving boat terminal. Once you’ve run the gauntlet and surfeited yourself with exhaust, the reward of leaving Dhaka by launch is nothing short of bliss. It is the best way to get out in true Bangladeshi style: on the water, that is. The frothy spittle of the city simply sails away behind you, replaced with the cool air of a gentle evening cruise. Bringing a discreet celebratory beverage would not go amiss at this moment, given that glasses are always provided with your cabin.
Our destination was the southern township of Patuakhali, where we would then catch public transport to Kuakata. The south’s landscape is unique in Bangladesh: it is where the mountains literally crumble to the sea. Massive quantities of monsoonal rainwater eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal each year, bringing with them the life-giving silt and minerals of the Himalayas. This phenomenon has helped sustain Bangladesh’s massive population growth over the last few decades. Tidal flow also pushes back against this torrent, resulting in the floods that are the source of much grief for Bangladesh’s millions. Yet, despite these miseries, southern Bangladesh holds an even darker promise, one that is now becoming an issue of intense contestation.
In early 2007, climate change finally attained mass awareness and even the leaders of the world’s most polluting nations began rhetoric on the one issue that affects us all. Bangladesh was widely acknowledged to be one of the nations least responsible for climate change, yet its people would bear the worst of its impacts. And it would be here, in southern Bangladesh, where the most people would be affected. As sea levels rise, millions of people would be pushed inward by the combined forces of river erosion, land loss and fresh water scarcity. The same fateful year also saw Bangladesh mired by two bouts of flooding and pounded by a severe tropical cyclone, both of which killed thousands and left several million more even worse off.
Perhaps, that is why this region needs more attention and more focus as the ‘ground zero’ point of where climate change forces will hit the most people and in the hardest way. Perhaps that is why many more visitors will come to these regions eventually, in a bid to stave off what will likely become the greatest challenge Bangladesh has ever faced.
- Barisal Booking is not required as there are often 4 departures per night to/from Barisal. The launches begin leaving around 18.00, with the last departing around 20.30. Showing up by 17.00 will guarantee you a cabin on one of the launches. Single cabins are sometimes available at Tk350, although these are harder to get and you may end up in a double cabin charging Tk600 per bed. The prices are usually fixed in this case, unless it’s the holiday season and demand is very high.
- Patuakhali Has at least 2 launches per day. Sundarban Five; mob: 01714 017272; Sundarban Six; mob; 01712 151747. The preceding two boats depart on alternative days at 18.15 so one or the other will be available. VIP cabin Tk1,500; regular cabins Tk600. Shaikat One, Mr Samsu; mob: 01710 620742; Shaikat Two, Mr Anwar; mob: 01920 206813. Also departs on alternative days at 17.45, so you’ll catch one or the other launch. 11hrs either way. Regular dbl cabin Tk600, sgl Tk350.
- Hatiya Island Panama; mob: 01711 349257; Tipu 5; mob: 01711 348813. 19hrs. Berth Tk600. Both launches stop over in Bhola in the morning the next day, & either launch runs on alternative days.
By Rocket
When the Rocket steamer service first commenced in 1956, the vessels may have actually ‘rocketed’ around the delta and were the fastest vessels of their time. Originally constructed in 1928, the Rocket is still ‘hammering around the Delta’, as travel writer Jack Barker put it, and fortunately only one of the six original vessels is on the bottom of the Buriganga and four remain in operation to this very day. It is Bangladesh’s most well-known journey, with its sloth-like speed actually quite a pleasure to enjoy.
There are two classes of cabin available: first class boasts air conditioning in doublebedded cabins (Tk1,190 for Khulna and Tk1,025 for Mongla) and is located at the front of the boat, where as the second-class cabins (Tk720 for Khulna) are located in the back and only offer fans. Even if you’ve purchased only a second-class ticket, the staff are normally pleased to let you sit in the front deck to enjoy the scenery going by.
Food on the boat receives mixed reviews, but if your dietary requirements aren’t too strict then you will be pleased. Standard Bengali fare is on offer, with toast and omelette available for breakfast and rice and curries available for dinner.
The (in)famous river journey can be booked ahead of time by liaising with the BIWTC office (BIWTC Bhaban, 5 Dilkusha Commercial Area, Motijheel; tel: 955 9779, 891 4771). Purchasing a ticket a few days in advance is recommended.
Otherwise if you’re based in Gulshan, Guide Tours (Hse 142, Rd 12, Blk E; tel: 988 6983, 986 2205; mob: 01711 696337) can purchase the tickets for you, and for a small service charge you don’t have to worry about getting down to the BIWTC office yourself. Assuming none of the other steamers breaks down or sinks before publication of this guidebook, departures run six times per week, but not all departures go all the way to Khulna or even Mongla, only Morrelganj. Full Khulna round trips run at 18.30 on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from Dhaka, and depart from Khulna at 02.45 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On the other days, the boats travel to Morrelganj, 90km before Khulna and 45km before Mongla. Schedules change frequently as sometimes the Rockets are parked at dock for service or they are delayed owing to winter fog (worst in December and January). Call first and confirm departures before finalising your plans. Fares for Dhaka–Khulna are Tk1,190 per berth in airconditioned first class and Tk720 for non air-conditioned second class (if you want a private berth you’ll need to pay for a full cabin at double the cost).
If travelling to Sundarban, purchase a ticket for Mongla (Tk1,025; 1st class) as you need not travel all the way to Khulna only to turn around and come back again. Ask your boat operator to have the vessel meet you in Mongla, and you’ll have less travelling time before you enter the forest.
3 Responses to “Getting There and Away”
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There is no exit fee at the airport… just if you need a visa they will charge you the visa fee for your country.
i am flying to singapore from dhaka. How much do I pay as exit fee at the airport?