Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05DHAKA4197
2005-08-24 04:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Dhaka
Cable title:  

CONTRACTOR COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR DR.

Tags:  OTRA BG 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAKA 004197 

SIPDIS

DIRECT RELAY

E.O. 12958
TAGS: OTRA BG
SUBJECT: CONTRACTOR COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR DR.
JEFFERSON FOX

To: Bob Winterbottom
Senior Manager
International Resources Group (IRG)
1211 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-289-0100
Fax: 202-289-7601
Email: BWinterbottom@irgltd.com

REF: Bob Winterbottom e-mail dated August 19, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAKA 004197

SIPDIS

DIRECT RELAY

E.O. 12958
TAGS: OTRA BG
SUBJECT: CONTRACTOR COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR DR.
JEFFERSON FOX

To: Bob Winterbottom
Senior Manager
International Resources Group (IRG)
1211 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-289-0100
Fax: 202-289-7601
Email: BWinterbottom@irgltd.com

REF: Bob Winterbottom e-mail dated August 19, 2005


1. Embassy Dhaka welcomes Dr. Jefferson Fox of East
West Center on his August 27 to September 2, 2005
visit and grants country clearance, contingent repeat
contingent on obtaining Bangladeshi visa in his
passport prior to arrival in Bangladesh (see
Paragraph 3.D. and 3.E. below). The purpose of
travel is to assist in defining the research agenda
and organizing and launching the applied social
science research and related program support
activities that are detailed in the scope of work of
the subcontract between IRG and the East West Center.
Control Officer will be Dr.Azharul H. Mazumder.
Contact information: Phone (Office) 8-02-885-5500
Ext. 2540, (Cell) 88-0175-103303, (FAX) 88-02-989-
0195, 882-3648, Email address: azmazumder@usaid.gov.
Mission understands that the visitor does not hold
any security clearance.


2. The Mission's workweek is Sunday-Thursday 0800
hours to 1630 hours. There will be no holiday during
the visit period.


3. Comments:


A. The traveler is advised to carry a copy of this
cable with him for reference.


B. Contractor will be responsible for all travel
arrangements within Bangladesh. Please provide control
officer with flight and accommodation information.


C. Embassy expediter and control officer will not
meet and assist the visitors at airport. Please
advise 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 exceptions.
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 traveler's
passport bio-data page, sent to 880-2-882-4449 at
least 7 calendar days in advance; and (2) a statement
from the losing post that there is no Bangladesh
mission in 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.


4. 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 5.17) 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.


5. 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 visitor's 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 traveler's
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.


6. 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 Citibank
cashier. The exchange rate fluctuates and is
currently approximately Taka 65 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 Citibank at the
Chancery will cash traveler checks for Taka only.
Most major credit cards are accepted at international
hotels.


7. 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 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.


8. 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.

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.)


9. 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.


10. 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.


11. 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.


12. 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 Embassy's 24-hour emergency telephone number
available at all times (880-02-885-5500);
receptionists are on duty 24 hours a day.


13. We look forward to your visit. Chammas