This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

130729Z Nov 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 DHAKA 005584 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DIRECT RELAY 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: OTRA BG
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR LYNDAL BARRY AND SARAH 
BREUL 
 
REF: E-MAIL FROM POLICY TRAVEL ADMINISTRATOR TO 
 
BELAYET HOSSAIN, OPHN DATED NOVEMBER 4, 2005 
 
TO: Policy Travel Administrator 
Futures Group, Policy II Project 
One Thomas Circle, NW 
Washington, DC 20005, USA 
Tel: 202-775-9680 
Email: (POLICYTRAVEL@FUTURES GROUP.COM) 
Fax:   (202)775-9694 
 
Action Required:  See Paragraphs # 2, 4-D and 9. 
 
¶1. Embassy Dhaka welcomes Lyndal Barry, Director of 
Mekong HIV/AIDS Project, Internews Network, and Sarah 
Breul, Program Associate, Internews Network on their 
November 24  November 28, 2005 visit and grants 
country clearance, contingent repeat contingent on 
obtaining a Bangladeshi visa in his/her passport prior 
to arrival in Bangladesh (see Paragraph 3.D. and 3.E. 
below). Control Officer will be OPHN staff member 
Carrie Rasmussen.  Contact information:  Phone 
(Office) 880-2-885-5500 Ext. 2315, (Cell) 0173-009647; 
(Home) 0171-825962, (FAX) 880-2-882-3648, and E-mail 
address: crasmussen@usaid.gov. We understand that as 
contractor, Lyndal Barry and Sarah Breul does not have 
any US Government security clearance. The purpose of 
their visit is to assist with Internews preparations 
for and to attend the APLF HIV/AIDS media managers 
event. 
 
¶2.  As of January 1, 2005 direct hire and PSC, (non- 
State Department), USG TDY personnel who will be in 
Bangladesh for 30 days or more, are required to take 
and pass the SAFE course.  SAFE, Safety Abroad for 
Families and Employees, is a four day security 
training course offered by FSI, Department of State. 
Please contact the Office of the Registrar, Room F- 
2210, SA-42. Fax:  703-302-7152.  The Department 
strongly recommends that commercial contract employees 
and others also take the SAFE course.  (For further 
information, please contact the Assistant Director for 
Training, Diplomatic security, Mr. William Armor at 
armorwd@state.gov or Phone: 703-205-2816.)  See STATE 
cable 93760 dated 27 April 2004 and STATE cable 066580 
dated 25 March 2004, for details. 
 
¶3.  The Mission's workweek is Sunday-Thursday 0800 
hours to 1630 hours.  There will be an American 
holiday on November 24, 2005 during the visit 
period. 
 
¶4.  Comments: 
 
¶A.  The travelers are advised to carry a copy of this 
cable with them for reference. 
 
¶B.  The travelers have arranged accommodation in Dhaka 
at Sheraton Hotel (1 Minto Road, Dhaka, phone: 880-2- 
861-3391; 861-1191). 
 
¶C.  Embassy expediter and control officer will not 
meet and assist them at airport (arriving 11/24/05 via 
TG-321 at 12:00 hours and departing on 11/28/05 via 
TG-322 at 13:10 hrs.). Please keep the control officer 
informed if there is any change in flight information. 
Travelers making more than one connecting flight 
should consider rechecking their baggage, especially 
if transferring within the region.  Embassy also 
advises carrying a change of clothes and all important 
documents in your carry-on bags. 
 
¶D.   IMPORTANT  PLEASE NOTE:  Personnel entering 
Bangladesh are required to possess a valid passport, 
with a minimum validity of six months.  A valid visa 
is required prior to arrival.  There are no xceptions. 
Any traveler arriving without a valid visa will be 
returned to the United States or their county of 
origin upon the next available flight.  Visas are no 
longer issued upon arrival.  Please ensure that your 
visa is valid for at least six months after your 
scheduled departure date from Dhaka. 
 
E.In special circumstances, Post will arrange for 
an 
airport visa upon arrival for persons originating 
travel to Bangladesh from countries where there is no 
Bangladesh visa-issuing mission. For an airport visa 
we require (1) a faxed photocopy of the travelers 
passport bio-data page, sent to 880-2-882-4449 at 
least 7 calendar days in advance; and (2) a 
 a 
statement from the losing post that there is no 
Bangladesh mission in that country.  The Embassy will 
not, repeat, not provide this service to persons 
originating travel in countries that have a Bangladesh 
visa-issuing mission.  However, we urge all travelers 
to attempt to obtain a visa prior to traveling to 
Post. 
 
¶5.  Departure and onward travel:  All departing 
personnel (including holders of diplomatic and 
official passports) are urged to use the services of 
the U.S. Mission's travel agent for reconfirming 
onward travel and to verify if the departure tax, 
approximately Taka 300 (approximately USD 4.54) and 
the travel tax (approximately Taka 2500) have been 
included in the cost of the ticket.  If not included, 
each traveler will be required to pay the taxes, in 
Taka only, at the 
airport. 
 
¶6.  Action Request:  Fiscal Data.  Each visitor, 
regardless of length of stay, must bring/forward 
fiscal data to pay for direct costs of the visit. 
Each agency, organization or visiting delegation will 
be charged for the actual costs attributed to its 
visit.  Direct charge costs include, but are not 
limited to:  American and LES overtime (for such 
services as airport expediting, cashier accommodation 
exchange, control room staffing, representational 
event support), travel and per diem costs incurred by 
post personnel in support of visitors field travel, 
rental of vehicles and other equipment, long distance 
telephone calls, office supplies, gasoline and other 
vehicle maintenance costs, departure tax and other 
airport fees as appropriate.  For TDYers remaining at 
post over 30 days, there is a charge for ICASS support 
services.  This charge is for the following ICASS 
services:  Basic Package, CLO and Health Services. 
Agencies will not be billed until the accumulated 
invoice cost for TDY support exceeds $2,500 for the 
fiscal year.  If your sponsoring agency is not signed 
up for ICASS services at post, please be prepared to 
sign a Memorandum of Understanding for ICASS support 
services upon arrival.  The agency should provide post 
with a written communication, generated by the 
travelers headquarters, that confirms the agency will 
pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provides the agency 
ICASS billing code the TDY support charges should be 
applied to, and authorizes the traveler to sign the 
ICASS invoice generated by the TDY module.  Where 
travel is urgent, the TDYer should bring this 
documentation with him/her to ensure there are no 
interruptions in the provision of service.  Post will 
not provide any service to a TDYer staying in excess 
of thirty days without provision of this documentation 
before day 31 of the TDY. 
 
¶7.  Currency:  The local use of U.S. Dollars (USD) is 
prohibited by law, except for the payment of a hotel 
bill.  The local currency, the Taka, must be used for 
all other local transactions.  Accommodation exchange 
is available at the Chancery through the Citi bank 
cashier.  The exchange rate fluctuates and is 
currently approximately Taka 66 to USD 1.00.  Reverse 
accommodation exchange is available only at the 
original place of exchange with original documents and 
receipts as proof.  Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) 
are limited and dispense Taka only.  Travelers checks 
cannot be used in most establishments except 
international hotels.  However, the Citi bank at the 
Chancery will cash traveler checks for Taka only. 
Most major credit cards are accepted at international 
hotels. 
 
¶8.  Club and Commissary: 
 
¶A.  The American Recreation Association (known as ARA 
or The Club) facility is available to U.S. citizen 
official visitors for a temporary membership fee of 
USD 10.00 per week.  This can not be pro-rated for a 
shorter visit.  In addition to the membership fee, you 
will be required to purchase a cash card, USD 10.00 
per card or Taka 600.00.  A copy of your passport data 
page or a passport-sized photograph is necessary to 
obtain a cash card.  This card will enable you to have 
ve 
meals and use club facilities (which include tennis 
court, squash court, swimming pool, exercise room, and 
restaurant/bar.) 
 
¶B.  The U.S. Commissary facility is available to U.S. 
citizen official visitors who are USG employees. 
However, payment is permitted only by USD personal 
check or traveler checks.  Cash dollars and local 
currency payments cannot be accepted. Change will not 
be provided for transactions using traveler checks. 
Therefore, smaller denomination traveler checks would 
be more useful. 
 
¶9.  NOTE:  Health  Post cannot emphasize strongly 
enough that all travelers must have health insurance 
that will cover medical evacuations by air ambulance. 
Travelers should carry with them the 24/7 contact 
information for their insurer.  Medical care in 
Bangladesh is very basic and Post does not recommend 
that anyone remain hospitalized here. 
 
MEDICAL UNIT ACCESS WILL BE AVAILABLE IF INDIVIDUALS 
MEET THE SPECIFIC CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY STATE MED AS 
S 
OUTLINED IN SECSTATE 2398, 201464, 158215, AND 36783. 
 
Intestinal problems are common in Dhaka.  Visitors 
must exercise care in what they eat and drink; food- 
borne diseases are common.  Presume that all tap water 
is contaminated, even in hotels.  Travelers are 
advised to drink bottled/boiled water and eat only 
fruits and vegetables that have been cooked and 
peeled. Undercooked meat should be avoided.  Travelers 
should also avoid eating uncooked dairy products and 
food sold on the streets. 
 
Visitors who take medication on a regular basis should 
bring enough for the duration of their visit.  It is 
not always possible to find equivalents for American 
prescriptions on the local market.  In general, local 
medical facilities are substandard.  The U.S. Mission 
has a Medical Unit staffed by a U.S. Physician and 
registered nurses.  Travelers venturing outside Dhaka 
are advised to use standard anti-malaria prophylaxis, 
including taking appropriate anti-malarial medication, 
using mosquito protection and the use of bed netting. 
It is strongly recommended that all visitors bring a 
supply of mosquito repellent to Dhaka.  There have 
been cases of mosquito-borne illnesses, including 
malaria and dengue fever, which is transmitted by a 
day-biting mosquito.  The only effective repellant we 
are aware of contains DEET (20% DEET is the maximum 
that is considered safe for children).  Supplies are 
usually available in the commissary; however it is a 
good idea to have your own supply should you arrive in 
Dhaka when the commissary is not open.  We also 
recommend that travelers have updated immunizations, 
especially an up-to-date typhoid immunization (either 
oral or injectable.) 
 
There are a multitude of potential threats to health 
in Bangladesh, and medical resources and facilities 
are often sub-standard.  All visitors are advised to 
carefully review 
 
their medical conditions and vaccination status to be 
sure they are optimal.  Although many medications are 
available in Bangladesh, their purity and quality may 
be poor; visitors should bring their own supply. 
 
Certain conditions prevalent in Bangladesh deserve 
special consideration.  Malaria is found in most parts 
of the country and malaria prophylaxis is recommended 
by the Centers for Disease Control outside of Dhaka. 
Malaria is not generally a problem in Dhaka.  Rabies 
is 
relatively common in Bangladesh and most dogs are not 
vaccinated; vaccination against rabies is recommended. 
Protection against mosquitoes is important, as they 
carry dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and 
malaria. Personal protection against mosquitoes, 
including such efforts as mosquito nets, application 
of DEET repellents, and avoidance of areas where 
mosquitoes are known to be prevalent is recommended. 
 
Access to the American Embassy Health Unit in Dhaka is 
limited to medically cleared U.S.G. employees and 
their eligible family members.  All visitors who 
desire to access the Health Unit (HU) must bring 
copies of their current country-specific health 
clearance for Dhaka (Form DS-823) or transmit their 
clearance status by cable.  U.S.G. employees on 
official TDY status for less than 60 days (cumulative, 
per year) are allowed access to the HU without a 
current clearance for Dhaka. Some short-term 
contractors with official MED sanction 
are also allowed access. 
All other visitors must obtain their health care from 
other sources and are not allowed American Embassy HU 
access.  The HU maintains a list of health resources 
and can help with referrals. Medevac insurance is 
recommended for persons not covered under the 
Department of State system. 
 
¶10.  Security: Bangladesh continues to experience some 
anti-American sentiment as the result of U.S. military 
and other actions in the war against terrorism, and 
events in the Middle East.  Anti-American 
demonstrations throughout Bangladesh, which generally 
occur on Friday afternoons, have the potential to take 
place any time and to be unruly.  In addition, the 
longstanding confrontation between the two leading 
political parties has prompted general strikes 
(hartals), public demonstrations and marches.  They 
can be called on very short notice and can turn 
violent. Normal vehicular traffic is discouraged 
during hartals. Visitors should strictly avoid all 
political protests, demonstrations and marches.  They 
should consider possible security risks in deciding 
whether to attend other gatherings. 
 
¶11.  Post policy authorizes travelers visiting post to 
hand carry an unclassified laptop into the Controlled 
Access Area providing that the laptop is transported 
under the immediate personal control of the traveler, 
or is transported via diplomatic pouch, with prior 
approval of the RSO.  All travelers must also maintain 
continuous, immediate custody of a laptop while in the 
CAA.  Further instructions will be given during the 
security brief upon arrival. 
 
¶12.  The Embassy advises Americans to be aware of 
their surroundings at all times, to avoid predictable 
behavior, and not to accept packages from unknown 
individuals.  Sensitive or personal matters should not 
be discussed over local telephone lines. 
 
¶13.  The State Department has classified the crime 
threat in Dhaka as high.  Foreigners are not generally 
the target of violent crime.  However, pick-pocketing, 
purse-snatching and other forms of street crime occur 
frequently, especially in areas frequented by 
foreigners.  Visitors should avoid walking alone after 
dark, carrying large sums of money, or wearing 
expensive jewelry.  Valuables should be stored in the 
hotel safety deposit box and should not be left 
unattended in hotel rooms.  Visitors should use the 
Embassy Motor Pool as the Chief of Mission has 
declared public transportation to be unsafe. The 
Regional Security Officer strongly discourages the use 
of rickshaws, baby taxis, and other public transport. 
In addition, you should keep the Embassys 24-hour 
emergency telephone number available at all times 
(880-02-885-5500); receptionists are on duty 24 hours 
a day. 
 
¶14. Agency specific general information  none 
 
15.We look forward to your visit. 
 
CHAMMAS