VZCZCXRO5649
RR RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #1236/01 2110638
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300638Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4643
INFO RHMFIUU/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0063
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 9211
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1763
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 8036
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 2563
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0858
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