Travel safety comparison · Asia
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Sri Lanka carries a materially lower safety risk than Bangladesh on the composite Warnely score: 36/100 against 59/100, a gap of 23 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Sri Lanka scores 2/5 against Bangladesh's 3/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 3 advisory on Bangladesh and a Level 2 on Sri Lanka. Drug law diverges sharply: Bangladesh carries a tier-death regime against Sri Lanka's more permissive framework.
| 🇧🇩Bangladesh | 🇱🇰Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 59 / 100 | 36 / 100 |
| Risk tier | High Risk | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | avoid all but essential travel to parts of country | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #123 | #97 |
| Drug law | Death penalty possible | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Generally Safe |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | BDT | LKR |