General Information
Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh. Today it has grown into a mega city of about 10.5 million people, with an area of about 1353 sq. km. and happy blending of old and new architectural trends. Motijheel is the old commercial area of the city, while most of the diplomatic missions and corporate offices are located in the Gulshan commercial area.

The Dhaka airport known as ZIA International Airport is located in Kurmitola about 30 minutes away from Singapore Airlines' office at Gulshan. Most arriving passengers have pre-arranged transfer service though taxis are also available at the arrival terminal. There are 5-star hotels like The Sheraton Hotel & the Pan Pacific Sonargaon located about 45 minutes from the airport and The Radisson is nearer to the airport. There are also numerous guesthouses and 3 star hotels located in the Gulshan and Banani area.

Office Timings
The airport office is located on the 2nd level in the airport terminal or one level above the departure hall.  Airport office's operating hours are as follows:
Sun to Thu  - 1500hrs to 2000hrs
Fri and Sat  - 1800hrs to 2000hrs

Duty Free items
Bangladeshi nationals are allowed to bring in duty free goods except alcoholic drinks. Bangladeshi nationals will be required to pay duty for taxable goods as listed in the Baggage Declaration Form. Foreigners are allowed to bring into the country the following duty free items:
            § 6 cans of beer
            § 1 bottle of hard liquor or wine
            § 01 carton of cigarettes (not more than 200 sticks).

Travelers’ Guide for Passengers Departing from ZIA International Airport, Dhaka
1. Getting to the airport
The airport is easily accessible by any mode of transportation.  Passengers are advised however to depart early for the airport as there is often heavy traffic on the roads to the airport.  Furthermore, during monsoon/rainy seasons, there could be flash floods which hinder smooth transportation. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport 3 hours before the flight departure.

2. Security Checks at entrance of departure hall
All passengers will be subjected to security checks of their all luggage at the entrance to the check-in area via x-ray scanners.  Security stickers will then be affixed on the check-in luggage.  Without these security stickers on the check-in luggage, the airline will not accept these luggages.  Passengers are advised to get your passport and tickets ready for security inspection before proceeding to the check-in area.

3. Checking in
During the month of December and January check-in counters open at 1830hrs and close at 2130hrs on every flight day.  Passengers are advised to check-in no later than 2 hours before flight departure in consideration of the security checks and immigration clearance process outlined in the next section.

There are 2 counters for Business class and 6 counters for Economy class passengers.  Passengers traveling onward from Singapore are checked-in all the way to their final destination from Dhaka, unless they have a stopover for more than 24 hours in Singapore. Hence, there is no need to check-in again in Singapore.

Checked in Baggage Weight Limit - Passengers are to note that the maximum weight of any single piece of check-in baggage must not exceed 32 kgs as per IATA guidelines. The 32 kg weight limit does not denote your baggage allowance and excess baggage charges are applicable should you check in any luggage beyond the allowance for your class of travel (e.g. for Economy class the baggage allowance is 20 kg and Business class is 30 kg). For North American destinations e.g. any point in USA & Canada, every passenger is allowed 02 pieces baggage weighing not more than 23kgs each.

For safety reasons, the following dangerous articles must not be carried in customers' baggage:

a. Brief cases / attache cases with alarm devices.
b. Compressed gases (flammable, non-flammable and poisonous)
c. Corrosives (such as acids, alkaline, wet batteries).
d. Explosives, Fireworks.
e. Flammable products (such as matches, lighter fuels, rubber, alcohol).
f. Irritating materials.
g. Magnetized materials.
h. Mercury.
i. Oxidizing materials.
j. Radioactive materials.

Applicable Taxes - The airport tax for all passengers departing ZIA International Airport is BDT300 . In addition, all nationals traveling out of Dhaka are required to pay a Foreign Air Travel Tax (FATT), as shown below:

• North/South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan,
  Hong Kong, North/South Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia & Taiwan.
  BDT2, 500 (approximately USD36)
• SAARC countries
  BDT800 (approximately USD12)
• Any countries not mentioned above
  BDT2, 000 (approximately USD29)

* Children (age between 5-12 years) will pay 50% of the above FATT rate. Child's age up to 5 years are exempted.

4. Immigration
The local immigration had implemented a non-acceptance rule of airline passengers within 45 minutes from departure.  Passengers arriving late may run the risk of being offloaded from the flight due to this immigration procedure.

5. Sheraton Lounge
Business (Raffles) Class and PPS passengers as well as Star Gold passengers traveling on Economy Class are offered complementary usage of the Sheraton Lounge. The Lounge is located one level above the transit area of ZIA International Airport. Besides serving light refreshments and beverages, there are also various reading materials, including the Singapore Straits Times available. The lounge also provides IDD, Internet, fax and shower facilities.

6. Security Checks at the boarding gate
Passengers are advised to report to the boarding gate at least 60 minutes before the flight’s departure, owing to stringent security checks.

No firearms and offensive weapons are allowed to be carried into the passenger cabin of the aircraft by any passenger. As a general guideline, the following categories of items / objects are considered dangerous and offensive:

a. Firearms of all types, categories and makes (guns, pistols, rifles, etc).
b. Ammunition and Explosives of all types.
c. Sharp instruments such as swords, knives, blades, cutters, saws, axes, etc.
d. Any other sharp object which, in the opinion of security personnel are considered offensive.
e. Any object or item, which visibly resemble offensive weapons e.g. toy guns, toy knives etc.
f. Sporting equipment e.g. baseball bats, hockey sticks, billiard cues, golf clubs etc.

7. Currency restrictions
According to Bangladesh Government regulations, passengers leaving the country are permitted to carry a maximum of TK 500. Tk 500 note is not allowed to be taken out of the country.

8. Boarding for your flight
Passengers are advised to clear the security checks and be in the gate holding area no later than 10 minutes before the flight scheduled departure time. To maintain flight punctuality, passengers who are not present at the boarding gate by this time will run the risk of being offloaded from the flight.