Location: Tongi, Gazipur, Bangladesh, and surrounding areas.
Event: Bishwa Ijtema, the world’s second-largest Muslim gathering, will occur in Bangladesh on January 13-15 and 20-22, on the banks of the Turag River in Tongi. The main gathering point is about three kilometers north of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. About four million attendees are expected to participate.
This annual event will have a major impact on vehicular and pedestrian traffic patterns throughout Dhaka. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police, in an effort to ease traffic congestion, are expected to limit vehicular access on several of Dhaka’s major thoroughfares.
We encourage you to review your scheduled travel through and around Dhaka during the above listed timeframes and factor in additional transit time. Individuals traveling to Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport should have their airline tickets in possession and be prepared to present their airline tickets at police checkpoints.
Embassy Operations: Embassy operations are normal.
Actions to Take:
- Review your scheduled travel during this timeframe and consider factoring in additional transit time.
- If planning to fly from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, keep airline tickets in your possession and be prepared to present them at police checkpoints.
- Exercise additional caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.
Assistance:
- U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh – (88) 02 5566 2000
- DhakaACS@state.gov
- bd.usembassy.gov
- State Department, Consular Affairs – (888) 407-4747 or (202) 501-4444
- Bangladesh Country Information
- Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
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