Is Codeine legal in Bangladesh?
- Legal status
- Codeine (widely misused as Phensedyl cough syrup) is a lower-category controlled substance under the Narcotics Control Act 2018; it sits below the capital tier (the Section 36 death penalty is reserved for Category 'Ka'/A drugs such as heroin/cocaine above threshold, not codeine).
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession or supply draws graduated imprisonment and fines by quantity; codeine is not death-eligible.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed as a controlled prescription medicine.
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and original packaging; declare controlled medicines (codeine syrups are heavily policed).
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Bangladesh’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →