Bangladesh is a flat, green, river-laced country on the Bay of Bengal, with crowded cities, rice fields, one of the world's largest mangrove forests and a very long beach. Few tourists come, and those who do find warm hospitality and slow but rewarding travel.
Bangladesh for visitors
Dhaka is huge and busy: Old Dhaka has narrow lanes, the riverside Pink Palace (Ahsan Manzil), the Mughal Lalbagh Fort and the Sadarghat boat terminal on the Buriganga river. In the south-west, the Sundarbans, a vast tidal mangrove forest shared with India, is home to the Bengal tiger and is explored on boat trips of a few days. Cox's Bazar, in the south-east, has a beach that runs for many kilometres, and the hills around Sylhet and Srimangal are covered in tea gardens. Domestic flights save time; trains, buses and overnight river launches are slower but give a feel for the country, and cycle rickshaws handle short trips in town.
Time in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has one time zone, Asia/Dhaka, and is on UTC+6 all year, with no daylight saving time. That puts Dhaka half an hour ahead of India: right now it is 30 minutes ahead of Mumbai, 2 hours ahead of Dubai and 6 hours ahead of London.
Climate and weather
Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate with three seasons: a dry, mild winter, a hot spring with thunderstorms, and the monsoon from early summer into autumn. In Dhaka, about 1,990 mm of rain falls a year on around 118 days, most of it during the monsoon, and July is the wettest month there. Average highs peak at 34°C in April, before the rains arrive, and average lows fall to 13°C in January. The coast is exposed to cyclones, mostly just before and just after the monsoon.
- Dhaka
- Mumbai
Show the numbers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka | 7.0 | 21 | 48 | 128 | 272 | 317 | 391 | 315 | 285 | 174 | 21 | 11 |
| Mumbai | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 7.3 | 526 | 920 | 561 | 384 | 91 | 11 | 1.6 |
Best time to visit Bangladesh
November to February is the best time: dry, sunny and comfortably warm, good for the cities, the Sundarbans and Cox's Bazar. March to May gets very hot and humid. The monsoon brings heavy rain and flooding, though the countryside is at its greenest and the rivers are full.
Practical facts
- Capital: Dhaka. Population: about 171 million (UN World Population Prospects 2024, 2023 estimate).
- Currency: Bangladeshi taka (BDT). Cash is used for most things; cards are accepted mainly in larger hotels and restaurants.
- Language: Bengali. English is used in business and by many educated people in the cities; dhonnobad means thank you.
- Calling code: +880.
- Driving: on the left.
- Customs: Bangladesh is mostly Muslim; dress modestly, and expect quieter days and lively evenings during Ramadan.
- Emergency number: 999 for ambulance, fire and police ([1]).
Plan your trip with hoyoopin
- The live weather and the month-by-month climate table for Dhaka are on this page.
- Mumbai city guide: another monsoon climate, with its own climate table.
- World Clock and Weather for Chittagong, Sylhet or any other town in Bangladesh.
- Asia: time zones and key facts for the continent.
- Further reading: where the monsoon brings the most rain.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Bangladesh, getting help: 999 for ambulance, fire and police.