Indonesia travel advice – GOV.UK

Since at least December 3, rumors have been circulating on social media suggesting that the United Kingdom has issued a travel warning, indicating the potential for terrorist attacks in Bangladesh at any time.

Indian news outlets have also published reports based on this claim, including Ei Samay, Republic Bangla (YouTube), Sangbad Pratidin, Aaj Tak, and Bartaman Patrika.

See examples of Facebook posts promoting this claim here (archive), here (archive), and here (archive).

Examples of posts on X (formerly Twitter) can be found here (archive) and here (archive).

Fact-Check

The Rumor Scanner team’s investigation reveals that the UK’s travel advisories regarding potential terrorist attacks are not limited to Bangladesh but also extend to countries such as India, Indonesia, Germany, Spain, Sri Lanka, France, and many others.  The UK has maintained similar travel advisories for several countries over a long period. Therefore, singling out Bangladesh in such campaigns is misleading. Additionally, when the UK issues a travel advisory for a particular region, it generally applies to all travelers. While special advisories were issued for the Chittagong Hill Tracts due to recent violence, no such specific alerts were imposed on other districts of Bangladesh. Notably, according to the UK travel advisory, countries like India, France, Germany, Russia, the USA, and Pakistan face higher risks of terrorist attacks compared to Bangladesh.

The investigation also referred to updates published on the UK Government Digital Service (GDS) website under the “Foreign Travel Advice” section (archive). The “Safety and Security” subsection for Bangladesh (archive) notes that the information was last updated on December 3. It mentions that terrorists might attempt attacks in Bangladesh and provides related guidance. Additionally, the advisory highlights violent protests in July and August and warns about theft, harassment, and other risks.

It is also worth mentioning that, in recent days, tourists have been unable to leave the Sajek and Machalong areas due to clashes between Santu Larma’s JSS and Prasit Khisha’s UPDF (archive). Such incidents occur frequently. The UK’s travel advisory for the Chittagong Hill Tracts is primarily based on these ongoing conflicts.

A review of the Foreign Travel Advice sections for other countries on the same UK website reveals that such warnings are not exclusive to Bangladesh. The UK routinely issues similar advisories for countries with ongoing or potential conflict.

For instance, India’s “Safety and Security” section highlights a significant likelihood of terrorist attacks. This information was updated three months ago, on September 13, and remains valid. Specific areas like the India-Pakistan border, Jammu and Kashmir, and Manipur are off-limits for travel. Additionally, names of terrorist groups such as LET and JEM are mentioned, and warnings are issued about possible attacks at restaurants, hotels, bars, markets, stations, and airports. Other concerns, including scams and sexual harassment, are also flagged.

Similarly, Indonesia is identified as another country facing potential terrorist threats. The advisory lists possible targets such as beach resorts, hotels, bars, restaurants, large international retail outlets, shopping malls, and foreign embassies. This information was updated on November 15 and remains current.

In addition to Bangladesh, India, and Indonesia, similar updates regarding the likelihood of terrorist attacks have been issued for Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Kuwait, Russia, the United States, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Spain.

In the case of Bangladesh, the travel advisory uses the term “likely” to describe the risk of terrorist attacks. However, for countries such as India, Pakistan, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States, the term “very likely” is used, indicating a higher perceived risk in these regions than in Bangladesh.

Moreover, the UK notes that even in countries where no such advisories have been issued, the possibility of terrorist attacks cannot be completely ruled out.

Conclusion

The UK’s travel advisories regarding the possibility of terrorist attacks are not unique to Bangladesh. Such warnings have long been issued for neighboring India and numerous other countries (Source). Singling out Bangladesh in campaigns based on this advisory is therefore misleading.

References