Captain Brendon McCullum, seamer Neil Wagner and batsman Hamish Rutherford have hopped across from the Champions League in India, where Otago came within a frustrating few balls of qualifying for the semifinals.
There's a warmup game this weekend before the two-test rubber starts and New Zealand would be well advised to be on guard.
Bangladesh have had a tough time of it since entering the test game just over a decade ago.
Credibility was seriously stretched in the early years - even now at times it still is - the argument being they were only given top status because of pressure from their sub-continental neighbours, one in particular, for whom they were a guaranteed supporting vote around the International Cricket Council table.
Things have improved. Bangladesh standards are on the rise, even if they are not yet able to field a full XI of high class.
Flashy opener Tamim Iqbal, who has been with Wellington in the HRV Cup, averages 37, and has hit four hundreds, including two against England.
Shakib al Hasan is top quality, at one point ranking as the game's premier allrounder; wicketkeeper-captain Mushfiqur Rahim has steadily improving figures; while offspinner Sohag Gazi has 26 wickets from his first six tests.
When New Zealand made their last test visit in 2008, things were distinctly dicey in the first test at Chittagong, at 216 for five chasing 317, before Dan Vettori - 131 runs and nine wickets in the match - and Daniel Flynn got New Zealand home.
Bangladesh won all four ODIs that were played there in 2010 - on home soil they've won five of 10 against New Zealand and will again fancy their chances in the shorter form.
New Zealand's skills will be tested and for some the results will be particularly important.
Opener Peter Fulton, undone in England in May after his brace of hundreds at Eden Park in March, needs to get among the runs in vastly different conditions; so too Dean Brownlie in the middle order.
While coach Mike Hesson insists Bruce Martin remains the No 1 spinner, the Auckland left armer must produce in conditions which will surely favour him after an ordinary last couple of outings.
Young leg spinner Ish Sodhi could be introduced if a second spinner is required - the option is making more use of Williamson's handy offspin.
Sodhi has taken some floggings with New Zealand A but his promise isn't in dispute.
And in the absence of Tim Southee, recovering full fitness from an injury layoff, Trent Boult will lead the attack.
This is a big tour for the Northern Districts left armer as the frontline pace bowler. He's made considerable strides in the course of 12 successive test appearances.
In Colombo late last year he took seven wickets, getting pronounced swing to help New Zealand to a 167-run win.
Boult took six for 68 against England at Eden Park, and his 49 wickets have come at 29.12 apiece.
Contrast that improvement with Doug Bracewell, who seems to be treading water after such a promising introduction. No matter the circumstances that's never been a long-term survival strategy.
Mitchell McClenaghan is itching for a chance and Adam Milne is making progress. The fast-medium field is becoming pleasingly more competitive.
Test file
New Zealand test squad: Brendon McCullum (c), Hamish Rutherford, Peter Fulton, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Dean Brownlie, Tom Latham, BJ Watling, Corey Anderson, Ish Sodhi, Bruce Martin, Mark Gillespie, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, Doug Bracewell.
Schedule:
Oct 9-13: First test, Chittagong
Oct 21-25: Second test, Dhaka
Oct 29: First ODI, Dhaka
Oct 31: Second ODI, Dhaka
Nov 3: Third ODI, Narayanganj
Nov 6: Only T20, either Sylhet or Dhaka
