Transportation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh moves on three tiers: the river ferries that thread the delta, the inter-city buses that fill every highway shoulder, and the three-wheelers that swarm every town square. For first-timers, the sweet spot is the long-distance coach network, air-con coaches cost a fraction of a taxi and run through the night on the Dhaka, Chittagong corridor. Inside cities, CNG-powered auto-rickshaws are ubiquitous. Agree the fare before you board because meters are decorative. Ride-hailing apps like Pathao and Uber Moto work in Dhaka and Chattogram and spare you the haggle. Landing at Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal, skip the touts inside the terminal. The approved taxi queue outside is the only reliable ride to Gulshan or Banani. Anything else is a splurge. A cheaper play is to walk past the taxi stand to the main road and flag a CNG, about one-third the price. But insist on the meter or a pre-agreed fare. Avoid the unofficial "hotel shuttle" guys; they'll circle the airport loop until you pay a premium.