1176
OVERLAND TO/FROM BANGLADESH
TR ANSPORT G E T T I N G T H E R E & AWAY
ROUTE/BORDER TOWNS
TRANSPORT
VISAS
Kolkata-Dhaka/ Haridaspur (India) & Benapole (Bangladesh)
Regular daily buses Kolkata to Dhaka; twiceweekly train via Darsana border post.
Must be obtained in advance. To buy train ticket, Darsana must be marked on your Bangladesh visa.
p470, p470
Siliguri-Chengrabandha/Burimari/ Chengrabandha (India) & Burimari (Bangladesh)
Regular direct buses Siliguri-Chengrabandha; then bus to Rangpur, Bogra & Dhaka.
Must be obtained prior to travel.
p484. Departure tax payable on exiting Bangladesh.
Shillong-Sylhet/Dawki (India) & Tamabil (Bangladesh)
morning share jeeps run from Bara Bazaar, Shillong to Dawki. From Dawki walk (1.5km) or taxi to Tamabil bus station for regular buses to Sylhet.
Must be obtained prior to travel.
p578
Agartala-Dhaka/ Nearest town Agartala, 3km from border along Akhaura Rd (India) & Akhaura, 5km from border (Bangladesh)
Must be obtained prior Akhaura is on DhakaComilla train line. Dhaka- to travel. Sylhet trains run from Ajampur train station, 3km further north.
p578
tickets inside India. Only designated travel agencies can book international flights, but fares may be the same if you book directly with the airlines. Departure tax and other charges are included in airline tickets. You are required to show a copy of your ticket or itinerary in order to enter the airport, whether flying internationally or within India.
Land Border Crossings
Although most visitors fly into India, it is possible to travel overland between India and Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan. The overland route from Nepal is the most popular. For more on these routes, consult Lonely Planet’s Istanbul to Kathmandu, or see the
‘Europe to India overland’ section on www.seat61.com/ India.htm. » If you enter India by bus or train you’ll be required to disembark at the border for standard immigration and customs checks. » You must have a valid Indian visa in advance, as no visas are available at the border – see p1173 for more information. » Drivers of cars and motorbikes will need the vehicle’s registration papers, liability insurance and an international drivers’ permit in addition to their domestic licence. You’ll also need a Carnet de passage en douane, which acts as a temporary waiver of import duty on the vehicle. » To find out the latest requirements for the paperwork and other important driving information, contact your local automobile association.
MORE INFORMATION
» See p1181 and p1182 for more on car and motorcycle travel. BANGLADESH
» Foreigners can use four of the land crossings between Bangladesh and India, all in West Bengal or the Northeast States (see above). » Heading from India to Bangladesh, tourist visas should be obtained in advance from a Bangladeshi mission (see p1164). » Heading from Bangladesh to India, you have to prepay the exit tax; this must be paid in advance at a Sonali Bank branch (either in Dhaka, another big city, or at the closest branch to the border). » Exiting Bangladesh overland is complicated by red tape – if you enter by air, you require a road permit (or ‘change of route’ permit) to leave by land.