Bangladesh or officially known as the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country which is found in the region of South Asia, with its maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal being roughly equal to the size of its land area and most of the country being covered by the Bengal Delta, which is the largest delta on Earth. It shares land borders with India and Myanmar and has an area size of 147,570 square kilometres with an estimated population of 162.95 million residents. With these figures, Bangladesh is the 8th most populous country and 92nd largest country by area.

The capital of this country is Dhaka, as well as its largest city. It has been inhabited since the first millennium and was once called the Venice of the East. In the present, it is one of the most densely industrialised regions around the country. With the area size of 306 square kilometres for the capital and 2,161 square kilometres for the metro area, the population of Dhaka is about 14.4 million people in the city proper, making it one of the world’s largest cities.

Human habitation has been around in Bangladesh for almost 20,000 years based on the Stone Age tools found, while the remnants of Copper Age settlements could date back 4000 years. By the second millennium BCE, rice-cultivating communities would populate the region, and by the 11th century, they are living more systematically with proper housing, burials for the dead and manufactured copper ornaments. While Bangladesh would be ruled by the ancient Buddhist and Hindu states, Muslim explorers later arrived in Bengal around the first millennium CE, with the Islamic conquest of Bengal starting with the 1204 invasion by Bakhtiar Khilji. After a century of rule by the Delhi Sultanate, an independent Bengal Sultanate was established in the 14th century by the rebel governors. In the 17th century, Bengal was under the control of the Mughal Empire.

After the 1757 Battle of Plassey, Bengal became the first region of the Indian subcontinent to be conquered by the British East India Company, with the company forming the Presidency of Fort William which administered the region. Several famines occurred under the company’s rule, including the great Bengal famine of 1770. In the 19th century, rebellions broke out but were quickly settled by the British rule. Modernisations later occurred rapidly after the creation of British Indian Empire which places Bengal as one of its colonies. This would lead to social tensions between wealthy Hindus and the Muslim-majority population. The latter quickly formed Muslim unions which would proceed to win seats in the Bengal Legislative Assembly.

Bengal would join Pakistan to form a union. However various issues happened which lead to the Bengalis fighting for their own rule. Consequently, the Bangladesh Liberation War broke out which resulted in Bengali nationalists to declare independence and form their guerrilla forces. An interim government and constitution were quickly defined, and the new state of Bangladesh would eventually be recognised by 86 countries in 1972.

In Bangladesh, the majority of the citizen practices Islam with 90 percent, Hinduism with 9.5 percent, Buddhism with 0.6 percent and another 0.4 percent is Christianity followers. For Singaporean tourists, they may obtain a visa on arrival for stays up to 30 days. Transit passengers are continuing their journey on the first connecting aircraft also do not require visas, provided they hold valid onward or return documentation and do not leave the airport. On certain occasions, tourists and business travellers arriving at airports in Dhaka and Chittagong may be granted 'landing permission' by the Chief Immigration Officer for stays of up to 15 days, as long as they hold return air tickets. However, this method is not commonly practised. The flat visa fee is charged at SGD68, with a VAT of BDT7 or SGD0.11. Visa extensions are possible at the Immigration and Passport Office in Dhaka.

Bengali, or sometimes called Bangla is the most widely spoken language in Bangladesh, with 98 percent of people using it as their native language. Some parts of the country have their dialects of Bengali such as Chatgaiya, Sylheti and Rangpuri. These would be viewed as separate languages at times as well. Pakistani Biharis living in Bangladeshi camps would speak Urdu, and there are Rohingya refugees from Myanmar speaking in Rohingya. While Bengali is the official language, English is used as the secondary language, mainly for official purposes such as legal and education.

Bangladesh's climate is usually tropical with a mild winter from October to March, and hot, humid summer from March to June. For the record, it has never recorded an air temperature below 0 °C, with a record low of 1.1 °C in the north-west city of Dinajpur on 3 February 1905. From June to October, there will be a warm and humid monsoon season with rainfalls. Natural calamities like floods, tropical cyclones, tornadoes and tidal bores occur on a yearly basis.

Throughout the history of the country, the Bangladeshi cuisines consist largely of the white race, along with lots of vegetables and lentils. There are specific rice preparations that include Bengali biryanis, pulaos and khichuris. Most of the Bangladeshi cooking would employ mustard sauce, ghee, sunflower oil and fruit chutneys. As for the protein source, fish is the main dish, and the Hilsa is the national dish which is enjoyed all over the country, although other kinds of fish such as rohu, butterfish, catfish, tilapia and barramundi are available as well. Fish eggs are a gourmet delicacy as well as lobsters, shrimps and dried fish. Among the popular tradition here is the Mezban feast which features the hot beef curry.  

How to Get There

By Flight

The tourists who came from Singapore that wants to get to Bangladesh, they need to travel there by plane. As such, it is crucial to take a flight from Changi Airport and choose for flights to Bangladesh. The ticket price per person will be around SGD 300 to SGD 500. However, the price of the ticket will be changing during the peak season which is during the public holiday and school holiday season. The main airport in Bangladesh will be the Shahjalal International Airport, located at Kurmitola. The journey from Changi Airport to Shahjalal International Airport will be around 4 hours and 10 minutes.  Once they have arrived, they can grab a taxi and go straight to their place to stay.

What to Do There

Cox’s Bazaar

If you are the kind that loves to go to beaches, Cox’s Bazar is the place to be in Bangladesh. With wonderful, sandy beaches and a fish port, it has a very considerable crowd regardless of the seasons. In addition to that, it has the famous Buddhist monastery known as “Aggmeda Khyang”. Cox’s Bazar also provides easy access to Chittagong hill tracts and many people that are interested in adventure tourism would come over to visit this place. Tourists should make sure to drop by at a small village called Ramu to buy famous handicrafts.

St. Martin’s Island

Once you are done partying in Cox’s Bazar, St. Martin’s Island is the right place to calm down your soul after spending a good time there. This coral island can be found within 10 kilometres south-west of the southern tip of the mainland is a tropical setting – beaches with coconut palms lining up and bountiful marine life living in its waters. This island has a very crystal blue water, and the surrounding air is so fresh and soothing. As such, the serenity being offered on this island will help you meditate and purify your soul. Stay a bit longer to witness the moonlight in St. Martin’s Island and consequently you may end up deciding to stay on this island forever.

Nonetheless, this amazing island is so small that it is possible to walk around the entire island in a pretty short time. To go here, note that each day, a ferry leaves Teknaf for St. Martin’s Island which takes only 3 hours. You can hop on a bus from Cox’s Bazar which will easily take you to St. Martin’s Island. If you want to go directly from Dhaka, hop in a Dhaka-Teknaf Bus.

Somapura Mahavihara

Somapura Mahavihara is an attraction of an 8th-century Buddhist monastery and also an important archaeological site which is located in Paharpur, Naogaon District, Bangladesh. It is one of the largest and best known Buddhist monasteries in the Indian subcontinent with the complex itself covering more than 20 acres, almost an impressive million square feet. Once checked closer, one may notice that the ruins have been influenced by Buddhist architecture elements that take as far away as Cambodia. History records showed that this Vihara was closely linked to the Buddhist centres at Bodhgaya and Nalanda, is an important site for Jains, Hindus and Buddhists alike.

Where to Stay

FARS Hotel & Resorts

FARS Hotel & Resorts is situated not too far from the town centre of Dhaka, being about 15 kilometres away from the Shahjalal International Airport. This hotel offers a very good staying experience and quality accommodation in the city of Dhaka. All of the rooms are well equipped with luxurious amenities such as flat-screen television with cable channels, a coffee or tea maker, a minibar which will be stocked with some free items, slippers and a private bathroom. Besides that, the rooms are air-conditioned, and the guests can request extra beds or infant beds to make themselves comfortable. Moreover, the guests can enjoy free international calls, a free Wi-Fi and a free weekday newspaper in the lobby. The hotel has always kept the rooms clean since they offer a daily housekeeping service.

Traveller Inn

Located 10 minutes away from Tribhuvan International Airport, Traveller Inn is certainly has some of the most affordable accommodation offerings in Dhaka. Every room in this hotel is well equipped with the basic facilities. Besides that, the hotel provides quite decent facilities and services package to make their guests feel more comfortable and convenient during their stay at this hotel. The guests can access free Wi-Fi from their room and also in the public area of the hotel. There is a fitness centre for those who want to keep fit and poolside bar is great for social drinks.  

The Olives

For those who want to stay in a more exclusive hotel, the ideal choice would be to head on to The Olives. It is the kind of accommodation that suits for a big family and groups of friends and also for those who want to stay a bit longer in Dhaka comfortably. The guests can freely use a few facilities readily available at the hotel.  Breakfast is provided in the rooms with some surcharge. There are also barbecue spots, health club, pool, spa and hot tubs here. There will be a 24-hour receptionist to handle the process of check-in and out of the rooms as well as other services like a concierge. With these, the staffs would also be available to help the guests in case if the guests need any assistance from them. Moreover, there are car rental services, and for guests who rented a car, they can park them in a provided space with some surcharge. They also can stay connected with their family and friends because there is a free Wi-Fi connection being made available in the public area.