Border rules, wetland etiquette, shrine dress codes and how to keep rivers clean.
Many of Sylhet’s best places are fragile: border rivers, protected wetlands and working tea estates. A few simple habits keep them open and welcoming.
- At the border, stay on the Bangladesh side, follow BGB instructions and never photograph BGB posts. Drones need prior permission anywhere in Bangladesh under the 2020 drone policy; never fly one near the border or over protected forests without it.
- In wetlands and forests, keep noise down, never feed wildlife, and take every wrapper and bottle home.
- Respect current closures: houseboats and tourist boats have been barred from the protected core of Tanguar Haor since 2 August 2026, Baikka Beel has been officially closed to visitors since February 2025, and every stone at Sada Pathor must stay where it lies.
- At shrines, cover shoulders and knees (since 2023 anyone in shorts is turned away at the Shahjalal dargah gate), remove shoes where others do and never photograph people at prayer. Women do not go up to Shahjalal’s tomb.
- In tea estates, stay on roads and ask workers before photographing them.
- Hire local boatmen and guides, and agree prices before you start.
Carry a refillable bottle. Plastic left on the stone beds washes straight into the rivers in the next flood.
