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The
international airport in Dhaka is well-equipped
with facilities to handle passenger and cargo
flights. The national carrier Bangladesh Biman
and a number of major airlines of the world run
regular services to and from Dhaka. Biman and
a private company fly smaller aircraft to transport
passengers to different airports within the country.
The Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, the Sonargaon Pan Pacific
Hotel and Purbani Hotel run their own transfer
services to and from the airport for convenience
of their guests. The Parjatan Corporation also
runs a similar transfer service with a fleet of
comfortable cars and microbuses. The corporation
operates a large number of hotels, motels, cottages,
restaurants, duty-free shops and package tours
in Dhaka and at different tourist spots outside.
In the Sunderbans the visitors can stay in comfortable
rest houses, take boat trips along the creeks
and from observation towers watch tigers, deer,
monkeys, crocodiles and birds. In Dhaka and elsewhere
various kinds of oriental and western food are
served by the hotels, motels and restaurants.
Bangladehi costumes and handicraft are attractive
in design and quality and are good value for money.
In 1995, foreign tourists numbering 156, 231 visited
the country bringing for the national exchequer
over Tk. 95 million in foreign exchange.
Climate:
Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon-type climate,
with a hot and rainy summer and a dry winter.
January is the coolest month with temperatures
averaging near 26 deg C (78 d F) and April the
warmest with temperatures from 33 to 36 deg C
(91 to 96 deg F). The climate is one of the wettest
in the world. Most places receive more than 1,525
mm of rain a year, and areas near the hills receive
5,080 mm ). Most rains occur during the monsoon
(June-September) and little in winter (November-February).
Bangladesh is subject to devastating cyclones,
originating over the Bay of Bengal, in the periods
of April to May and September to November. Often
accompanied by surging waves, these storms can
cause great damage and loss of life. The cyclone
of November 1970, in which about 500,000 lives
were lost in Bangladesh, was one of the worst
natural disasters of the country in the 20th century.
Bangladesh has warm temperatures throughout the
year, with relatively little variation from month
to month. January tends to be the coolest month
and May the warmest. In Dhaka the average January
temperature is about 19°C (about 66°F), and the
average May temperature is about 29°C (about 84°F).
Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens
throughout the year. Warmer clothes are needed
in the evenings during the cool season. Waterproofs
are necessary during the monsoon season.
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