COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR DOE LANDERS +2

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAKA 001236 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO CHERYL YOUNG, HQ DOE; EILEEN EISENMAN, PNNL; VICKI MCCOY, NNSA; DARLENE ROBERTS, NNSA; GEORGE VERRY NNSA; AND BETTY SHORTER, NNSA. E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG KNNP PARM OTRA BG SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR DOE LANDERS +2 REF: SECSTATE 101774 ¶1. Embassy Dhaka welcomes CHRISTOPHER LANDERS, DOUGLAS DAHL, and GARY STUBBLEFIELD on their August 4 Q 13, 2007 visit and grants country clearance contingent upon obtaining a Bangladeshi visa prior to arrival (see Paragraph 4.D. below). Although country clearance has been granted, visitors should recognize that the political situation in Bangladesh remains fluid. Visitors should confirm prior to their travel that conditions for a successful visit still exist. Based on circumstances, country clearance may be revoked at any point. ¶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. ¶4. Comments: ¶A. The traveler is advised to carry a copy of this cable with Her / him for reference. ¶B. Lodging arrangements were previously coordinated by traveler. ¶C. Assistance requested in Reftel has been coordinated. ¶D. IMPORTANT Q PLEASE NOTE: Personnel entering Bangladesh are required to possess a valid passport with a minimum validity of six months after the scheduled departure date from Dhaka. Visas are not issued at the airport, and travelers without visas are routinely boarded on the next departing flight. In very limited circumstances, including, for example, emergency travel from a country with no Bangladeshi Embassy, we will request an airport visa. In such cases, we require (1) a faxed photocopy of the travelerQs passport biodata page faxed to 880-2-882-4449 at least seven calendar days in advance; and (2) a statement from the post of origin confirming there is no Bangladeshi mission in the country. ¶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($4.34) and the travel tax (approximately Taka 2500) ($36.23) have been included in the cost of the ticket. If not included, the 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 associated with the 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 visitorQs 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 travelerQs headquarters, that confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provides the agency ICASS billing code the DHAKA 00001236 002 OF 003 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 Citibank NA cashier. The exchange rate fluctuates and is currently approximately Taka 69 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. Traveler's checks are not widely acceptable with the exception of international hotels. Most major credit cards are accepted at international hotels. ¶8. Club and Commissary: ¶A. The American Recreation Association (known as ARA or QThe ClubQ) 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 to pay for meals and use club facilities (which include tennis court, squash court, swimming pool, exercise room, basketball court, and restaurant/bar.) ¶B. The U.S. Commissary facility is available to U.S. citizen official visitors who are USG employees. Payment is limited to USD personal check or traveler checks. Cash payments Q either is US dollars or local currency payments are not accepted. Because ARA is unable to provide change for transactions using traveler checks, small denomination traveler checks are ideal. ¶9. HEALTH 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 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. Intestinal problems are common in Dhaka. Visitors must exercise care in what they eat and drink; food-borne diseases are common. Assume 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. Medical Unit access will be available TO INDIVIDUALS that meet the criteria specified in the health unit access chart available on med.state.gov. 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. DHAKA 00001236 003 OF 003 ¶10. Security: The Government of Bangladesh declared a State of Emergency on January 11. The situation remains fluid, but this has affected life in many ways Q from a ban on political rallies to mass arrests of individuals suspected of corruption. Although foreigners have not been targeted in any of the recent violence, visitors need to be aware of anti-American sentiment as the result of the Global War on Terrorism and events in the Middle East. ¶11. Post policy authorizes travelers visiting post to hand carry an unclassified laptop into the Controlled Access Area providing that SIPDIS 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 briefing upon arrival. ¶12. The State Department has classified the crime threat in Dhaka as high. 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 not left unattended in hotel rooms. The Embassy advises Americans to be aware of their surroundings at all times and to avoid predictable behavior. The Chief of Mission has declared public transportation to be unsafe. The Regional Security Officer has banned the use of rickshaws, baby taxis, and other public transport. Instead, visitors will be provided Embassy motor pool support. In addition, visitors should keep the EmbassyQs 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. PASI