Practical information for visiting the Sylhet division

Weather by month, money, SIM cards, language, etiquette, health, safety, holidays and visas: what to know before a trip to the Sylhet division.

Sylhet rewards a little preparation. A river that runs shallow and clear over stone in January can rise within hours after a June storm in the hills, a shrine that welcomes everyone expects you to dress with care, and one Eid holiday can bring several lakh visitors to a single riverbank. This chapter gathers the practical knowledge that makes a trip easier.

For flights, trains, buses and boats, see Getting to Sylhet and getting around the division; for each month at a glance, see when to go.

The seasons and what to pack

Sylhet has a tropical monsoon climate and is among the wettest places in Bangladesh. Averages for Sylhet City from 1991 to 2020 add up to about 4,000 mm of rain a year, nearly all of it between April and October, while November to February is almost dry.

Winter: November to February

The dry season is the easiest time to travel. Days are warm at 25°C to 30°C, and nights fall to around 10°C to 12°C in December and January, colder at dawn on the water. Rivers run low and clear, the haors shrink and fill with migratory birds, and trails are dry. Pack a light jacket for sunrise boat trips, sunscreen and sunglasses for the glare off the stone beds, and a shawl or scarf that doubles as a head cover at shrines.

Pre-monsoon: March to May

From March the heat builds and the storms begin. Average rain climbs from about 127 mm in March to 382 mm in April and 590 mm in May, much of it in short, violent thunderstorms late in the day. The tea bushes push out fresh leaves, and by May flash floods are possible near the hills. Bring loose cotton clothes that cover shoulders and knees, oral rehydration salts and a compact rain jacket.

Monsoon: June to September

June is the wettest month, with almost 800 mm of rain on about 26 days, usually in heavy bursts with clearer spells between. This is the season of Ratargul's flooded forest, full waterfalls and high water on Tanguar Haor, and also of floods. In June 2022 floodwater halted operations at Osmani International Airport and Sylhet railway station, and in August 2024 trains between Dhaka and Sylhet stopped for three days when the swollen Khowai reached a rail bridge near Shaistaganj. Pack quick-dry clothes, grippy sandals, a light rain jacket and a dry bag for your phone. The monsoon guide shows where the water is at its best.

Autumn: October

Rain drops to about 200 mm over roughly 10 days, skies clear and the haors are still full, which makes October one of the best months for a first visit. By November the water falls quickly and the clear-river season starts; the winter guide picks up from there.

Money and payments

The currency is the Bangladeshi taka (BDT), written ৳ or Tk, with notes in everyday use from ৳2 to ৳1,000. A new series of banknotes has been entering circulation since June 2025, so expect old and new designs side by side.

Cash still runs most of a trip. Boatmen, CNG drivers, tea stalls, entry counters and village guides expect taka, often in small notes, and few people at a busy ghat have change for ৳1,000. ATMs are common in Sylhet City and the district towns but scarce in the border upazilas, so draw cash before a day trip.

Mobile money is everywhere. bKash, launched in 2011 and owned by BRAC Bank, reports more than 80 million verified users, and Nagad is the other big name; shops commonly display a number or QR code for payment. Accounts are tied to a registered Bangladeshi mobile number, so many foreign visitors find it simpler to pay cash, or to let a host pay and settle up later. International cards work in larger hotels, resorts and some restaurants in Sylhet City and Sreemangal, rarely elsewhere.

Keep ৳20, ৳50 and ৳100 notes in a separate pocket from your main cash. Paying boatmen and tea stalls is quicker, and you never need to open a thick wallet in a crowd.

Phones, internet and language

Four operators cover the division: Grameenphone, the largest, Robi, Banglalink and the state-owned Teletalk. Every SIM must be registered to its owner, under a system in place since 2015. Bangladeshis use their national ID card; foreign visitors register with a passport and visa. Each operator has a sales point at Dhaka airport, and customer care centres in Sylhet City also sell SIMs. Data weakens near the border and can be patchy in the tea estates and on the haors, so download offline maps first.

Sylheti, Bangla and English

Bangla is the national language and the language of signs, schools and offices. At home and in the bazar, though, most people speak Sylheti, which has around 10 million first-language speakers and differs so much from standard Bangla that many linguists treat it as a separate language, though others class it as a dialect of Bangla. It has its own historic script, Sylheti Nagri. People switch readily to standard Bangla with visitors from elsewhere in the country.

English is spoken in hotels and airline offices and by many younger people, and with most British Bangladeshis tracing their roots to the region (about 95 per cent by a 1986 estimate), many families have relatives who grew up in the UK. Away from the towns, a few words of Bangla go a long way.

• Assalamu alaikum: the everyday greeting among Muslims, answered with wa alaikum assalam. Use nomoshkar with Hindus.
• Kemon achhen (Bangla), afne bala asoin ni (Sylheti): how are you.
• Dhonnobad: thank you, though a smile often does the same job.
• Koto taka: how much is it.
• Ki (Bangla), kita (Sylheti): what.
• Bhai and apa: brother and sister, the polite way to address a man or a woman you don't know.

Dress, etiquette and photography

Sylhet is a mainly Muslim and fairly conservative region, home also to Hindu communities and to Khasi, Manipuri and other peoples along the hills. Loose clothes that cover shoulders and knees work everywhere; shorts and sleeveless tops draw stares outside resorts. Women will be most comfortable in a long kameez or tunic with trousers, with a scarf for shrines and mosques.

At Shahjalal's dargah and Shah Paran's dargah, take off your shoes where others do, cover your head and keep your voice low. Since 2023 the Shahjalal shrine authority has barred anyone wearing shorts from entering through the gate. Women have a separate area near the main courtyard, and only men climb the stairs to Shahjalal's tomb. Give way to people at prayer, and stay out of mosques during the Friday midday prayers unless you are praying. The shrines chapter explains the customs.

Tea estates are working farms and home to the families who work them: stay on the estate roads, keep out of the workers' housing unless invited, and ask before photographing pluckers. In the Khasi villages near Jaflong and inside Lawachara, homes and gardens are private, so go with a local guide.

Most people are happy to be photographed if you ask first, and many will ask for a selfie in return. Always ask before photographing women, children and people at prayer. Never photograph BGB posts, soldiers or the border fence, and put the camera away if an official asks.

Ramadan

During Ramadan many restaurants close or curtain their doors by day and fill at sunset for iftar; if you are not fasting, eat and drink discreetly in public. In 2026 Ramadan ended with Eid ul-Fitr on 21 March, and in 2027 it is expected to run from around the second week of February to early March.

Staying healthy

• Water: drink bottled or properly filtered water and check that the seal is intact. Freshly boiled tea is safe; ice at roadside stalls may not be.
• Food: eat where food is cooked hot and the tables are busy, and peel fruit yourself.
• Dengue: carried by mosquitoes that bite by day, it rises in the monsoon. Sylhet division had recorded 111 cases by early August 2026, so the risk is low but real. Use repellent by day as well as at dusk, and see a doctor about any high fever.
• Leeches: common on forest trails in the rains, including the walk to Hum Hum and paths in Lawachara. Tuck trousers into long socks and check your legs at each stop; a bite bleeds for a while but is rarely more than a nuisance.
• Heat: from March to October, start early, rest at midday, wear a hat and carry oral rehydration salts, sold in pharmacies everywhere.
• Boats: boats roll in a wind on open haor water. If you suffer from seasickness, take a remedy before boarding and sit low near the middle.

Every bazar has a pharmacy, but bring any prescription medicine you rely on in its original packing. The main government hospital is MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital in Sylhet City, which also treats the division's dengue patients. Each district town has a government sadar hospital, such as Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital, and Sylhet City has private medical college hospitals and clinics.

Staying safe

Sylhet is a welcoming place, and the main risks are the everyday ones of roads and water rather than crime. Most highways are two lanes shared by coaches, trucks, CNGs and bicycles, and overtaking is bold: travel by day where you can and ask your driver to slow down if you are uneasy.

Rivers, boats and flash floods

The clear rivers carry strong currents where they leave the hills, and visitors have drowned while bathing at Jaflong despite repeated loudspeaker warnings. Swimming at Jaflong has been banned since 2014; elsewhere, swim only where local people do, never alone and never after heavy rain. On any boat, wear a life jacket and insist on one for every child; on Tanguar Haor the district administration requires every boat to carry enough of them.

After heavy rain in Meghalaya, water pours down the hill rivers within hours. In the monsoon, check the forecast and local news before heading to Bisnakandi, Panthumai, Sada Pathor or Jaflong, and leave the riverbed as soon as the water turns muddy or starts to rise. At the height of the rains the road from Sunamganj to Tahirpur can go under water.

The border

At Jaflong, Bisnakandi and Lalakhal the border with India's Meghalaya state runs close to where visitors go. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) controls the zero line: stay on the Bangladesh side, follow BGB instructions and do not wander past the markers even if others do. Shops at Jaflong openly sell Indian goods, but police checkpoints on the Sylhet–Tamabil highway can seize goods brought in without customs duty, and buyers have reported confiscations even with a shop receipt.

Strikes, overcharging and touts

Hartals, general strikes in which shops and offices close, and road blockades still happen from time to time in Bangladesh. If one is called, stay put, avoid gatherings and follow your hotel's advice.

Overcharging is the usual annoyance, worst at holiday times and at busy ghats such as Ratargul. Agree every boat, CNG and car fare before you set off, including whether it is a return trip and how long the boatman will wait, and pay at the end. Book boats and tours through established, registered operators, and never send a deposit by mobile money on the strength of a social media page alone.

Tourist police and emergencies

Bangladesh's Tourist Police has a Sylhet region. In 2025 it had camps at Jaflong, Bisnakandi, Bholaganj, Sreemangal, Madhabkunda and Tanguar Haor, and in 2026 its website listed zones for Sylhet, Jaflong, Bisnakandi, Bholaganj, Sreemangal, Madhabkunda and Sunamganj. Officers can help with lost property, disputes and directions. In any emergency, call 999.

Holidays, festivals and weekends

Bangladesh's weekend is Friday and Saturday, and the busiest days at every sight are Fridays and the first days of a public holiday. For 2026 the government approved 28 holiday days, several of them grouped into long breaks.

The two Eids are the biggest travel events of the year. Dhaka empties towards the villages, then the tourist spots fill for the rest of the break: Jaflong normally draws big holiday crowds, and by April 2025 Sada Pathor had already had several lakh visitors that year. Fares rise, night coaches and trains sell out early and hotels fill weeks ahead. Islamic holidays follow the moon, so each year they arrive about 11 days earlier.

Bangla New Year on 14 April brings fairs, music and new clothes, and the parks and tea estates near the towns fill with local families. Durga Puja, the main Hindu festival, fills temples and pandals across the division for several days each autumn.

The Urs, the annual commemoration of Hazrat Shahjalal's death, lasts two days and follows the Islamic calendar. A cover is laid on the grave, readings of the Quran and devotional gatherings follow, and it ends with closing prayers after dawn. Thousands attend, so check the dates if you plan to visit the dargah or stay near it.

See Jaflong, Ratargul, Sada Pathor and the tea gardens on a weekday if you can, start at dawn at weekends, and book Friday-night rooms well ahead.

Families, older travellers and accessibility

Sylhet suits family travel: distances are short, most sights are day trips from one base, and Bangladeshi families are everywhere. The hard parts are heat, long road days and getting in and out of boats.

• Pick one or two bases, such as Sylhet City and Sreemangal, and make day trips instead of moving every night.
• Fly between Dhaka and Sylhet, or take the overnight Upaban, whose AC berths are easier with small children than a night bus.
• Ask for child-size life jackets when you book a boat, and bring your own for a toddler if you can.
• Carry water, snacks and a change of clothes on every outing. Toilets are scarce, and in April 2025 Sada Pathor had no toilets or changing rooms for visitors at all.
• Save demanding walks such as Hum Hum for fit teenagers and adults; Lawachara's short trails suit younger children.

For older travellers the issues are steps, uneven ground and heat. Shahjalal's tomb is reached by stairs, ghats are often muddy slopes with a plank to the boat, and the stone beds at Jaflong and Bisnakandi are slippery. A car with driver and afternoons to rest make a real difference.

Step-free access is rare: few sights have ramps or accessible toilets, buses are not built for wheelchairs, and boarding a train means climbing steep carriage steps. Wheelchair users should plan around flights, a private car, a hotel that confirms step-free access in writing and a companion for boat transfers; our stays listings are a place to start asking.

Travelling responsibly

Many of Sylhet's best places are under pressure from the visitors who love them. The short version is in travelling responsibly in Sylhet; these points add detail.

• Plastic and noise: Tanguar Haor's rules ban single-use plastic, dumping waste in the water and loud music. Carry a refillable bottle, take your rubbish back to town, and keep voices low in Ratargul and Lawachara too.
• Stone: since August 2024 much of the white stone at Sada Pathor has been dug out illegally, and in August 2025 the authorities began putting recovered stone back. Leave every stone where it lies.
• Wildlife: watch from a distance, never feed animals, and do not fish, hunt or collect eggs in protected areas. In August 2026 the Sunamganj district administration barred houseboats and tourist boats (some Bangla reports say all engine boats) from the Ecologically Critical Area of Tanguar Haor until further notice; respect such closures even if a boatman offers to ignore them.
• Drones: Bangladesh's 2020 drone policy requires prior permission, sought through the district administration and decided by the Civil Aviation Authority. Do not fly near the border or over protected forests without it; the authority also imposes temporary bans, as it did around airports from December 2025 to February 2026.

Visas and paperwork for foreign visitors

Rules change, so check with the Department of Immigration and Passports and your nearest Bangladesh mission before you book. In general terms:

• Most foreign visitors need a visa, issued in advance by a Bangladesh embassy or high commission or, for some nationalities, on arrival.
• Visa on arrival is offered, at the immigration officer's discretion, for tourism, business, investment or official visits to citizens of the UK, European countries, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China and several other countries, to nationals of countries with no Bangladesh mission and to foreigners of Bangladeshi origin. Bangladesh missions describe it as single entry for up to 30 days, with a fee of about US$50 payable in cash in foreign currency. Expect to show a passport valid for six months, a return or onward ticket, a hotel booking or your host's details and, according to the High Commission in London, at least US$500 in cash or on a card.
• Bangladeshi citizens who hold a foreign passport, and the foreign spouses and children of Bangladeshi citizens, can apply for a No Visa Required (NVR) endorsement, which allows unlimited entries for the life of the passport.
• Since 19 August 2026 foreign passport holders arriving by air can fill in the arrival card online through the Special Branch's e-card portal; paper cards are still accepted at the airport. It asks for your address in Bangladesh, so keep your first booking or your host's address to hand.
• Carry your passport, or a copy and a photo of the visa page, on day trips; police or BGB may ask for it near the border.
• We know of no published permit requirement for foreigners at the division's main sights, but access near the zero line is at the BGB's discretion, so ask locally before heading right up to the border.

Keep digital copies of your passport, visa or NVR page and tickets in your email, and paper copies in a separate bag. For more on flights, money and family visits, see visiting Sylhet from abroad.