Tarabo

With no airport or railway station in town, every arrival is by road. The town sits on the east side of the Sultana Kamal Bridge, which carries the road from Demra in eastern Dhaka over the Shitalakshya and onto the Dhaka-Sylhet highway. International travellers land at Hazrat Shahjalal airport in the north of Dhaka and then face a cross-city drive; traffic decides the time far more than distance, so leave a wide margin before any meeting. Within Dhaka, the usual approach is through Jatrabari and Demra. Long-distance buses heading east to Narsingdi, Bhairab and Sylhet run along the highway past Tarabo, and conductors will let you off at the town if you ask before boarding. From Kamalapur, Dhaka's main railway station, the rest of the trip is by road through Demra.

Hazrat Shahjalal (DAC)

Airport taxi, private car or a ride-hailing app such as Uber or Pathao, across Dhaka to Demra and over the bridge

Local bus

City buses and minibuses from central Dhaka via Jatrabari and Demra to Tarabo

Long-distance bus

Sylhet, Bhairab and Narsingdi services along the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, stopping on request

Rail

Nearest major station is Kamalapur in Dhaka, then by road via Demra

• Set out from Dhaka early in the morning; by mid-morning the Demra approach to the bridge is usually slow.
• Ask a ride-hailing driver to confirm the route before you set off, as some will avoid the eastern side of the city at rush hour.

Stay in Dhaka and drive across each day, as most business travellers do, since visitor accommodation in Tarabo is very thin. Eastern Dhaka and Motijheel are closest to the Demra crossing, Narayanganj city has mid-range hotels a short drive south, and Gulshan and Banani have international hotels but the longest drive. Rupganj has only basic guesthouses.

Motijheel and around Kamalapur

Central Dhaka's business district, on the right side of town for the Jatrabari and Demra road

Eastern Dhaka

Closest base for the Demra crossing, with a short run to the bridge outside rush hour, though hotels are plain

Narayanganj city

Mid-range options in the river port a short drive south, handy if your work is spread along the Shitalakshya

Gulshan and Banani

International-standard hotels and restaurants, but the longest daily drive across the city

• If a factory visit runs several days, ask your host which side of Dhaka their own staff commute from; they know which route jams least.

Inside Tarabo, cycle rickshaws handle short hops between the highway, the bazaar and the factory lanes, and you agree the fare before climbing on. Green CNG auto-rickshaws are the next step up, useful for the run down to Narayanganj or out to the Murapara zamindar house further along the river; they rarely use meters here, so settle the price first and confirm where you are going. Pathao and Uber cover the Dhaka side reliably and can usually be booked for a trip across the bridge, though finding a ride back from Tarabo can take longer than in the city. For a day that combines Tarabo with Sonargaon, a car with driver hired in Dhaka is the least stressful choice, since buses on the highway are crowded and stops are not signed in English. Walking along the highway itself is unpleasant, with heavy trucks and few pavements.

Cycle rickshaw

Short trips within the town, fare agreed in advance

CNG auto-rickshaw

Narayanganj, Rupganj villages and Murapara, price agreed before setting off

Hired car

The practical way to add Sonargaon via Kanchpur and the Dhaka-Chittagong highway

• Carry small notes in taka; rickshaw and CNG drivers rarely have change for large bills.