Quick summary
Bangladesh’s High Court ruled on 13 September 2026 that hartals and strikes called against court verdicts are illegal, but Dhaka’s roads still close: transport workers blocked Mohakhali Bus Terminal on 10 September 2026. The UK’s FCDO advice, dated 12 October 2026, flags Durga Puja crowds from 16 to 21 October and fuel shortages affecting transport.
The US rates Bangladesh Level 3 (Reconsider Travel); Canada advises a high degree of caution. Airport risk runs both ways — eight Dhaka–Riyadh flights were disrupted as of 11 October 2026, affecting 2,951 passengers.
- What the High Court’s September 2026 ruling changes about hartals
- What current government advisories say about protests and strikes
- How to prepare for airport transfers when roads are disrupted
- What’s coming next: Durga Puja 16–21 October 2026
- Where the rules change by departure point
- Before Durga Puja begins on 16 October
Transport workers blocked Mohakhali Bus Terminal on 10 September 2026, paralysing central Dhaka. It was a transport-workers’ action rather than a court-verdict hartal: the road risk to an airport transfer does not depend on a nationwide strike being declared.
For anyone flying out of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC), the question is whether the road to the terminal is open.
Strike legality alone cannot answer that. Nor can it tell you what your government will actually do for you if the road is blocked.
What the High Court’s September 2026 ruling changes about hartals
The judgment, delivered on 13 September 2026, holds that hartals, strikes and work stoppages called in protest at a court verdict or order are illegal and unconstitutional. It directs legal and criminal action against bus owners’ associations and workers’ organisations that call transport strikes over court verdicts. It also orders the Home Secretary, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) to take steps to prevent them. The ruling does not ban protest or assembly.
The bench grounded the ruling in Article 112 of the Constitution, which makes Supreme Court verdicts binding on all executive and judicial authorities. The judgment states that a verdict may be challenged only through the proper appellate channels, not through a strike. The case traces back to a writ petition by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh after the 2011 Ghior (Manikganj) road crash, and to a 2017 interim High Court order issued after a bus driver’s conviction was followed by a bus owners’ strike. That rule was made absolute in 2026.
The ruling’s scope is narrow.
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What current government advisories say about protests and strikes
The US State Department’s Bangladesh travel advisory rates the country Level 3: Reconsider Travel, citing kidnapping, unrest, crime and terrorism, with some areas at increased risk. The State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, is the channel it uses to push alerts to US citizens in Bangladesh. Canada’s advisory, dated 14 June 2024, sets Bangladesh at a high degree of caution because of possible demonstrations, clashes and nationwide general strikes. It warns that the security situation could deteriorate with little warning.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in its Bangladesh travel advice dated 12 October 2026, flags energy and fuel shortages affecting transport and causing delays in some areas. Authorities are imposing limits on fuel sales. The same page notes global travel impacts from escalation in the Middle East, including possible flight disruptions.
The advisories differ in what they ask of you. Canada points to insurance and medical evacuation, the FCDO to airline updates and local authorities. The consular help available also depends heavily on your nationality and whether you hold Bangladeshi citizenship.
How to prepare for airport transfers when roads are disrupted
A blocked road is not the same as a closed airport. The FCDO’s Bangladesh guidance, published in June 2024, describes Dhaka international and Sylhet airports as fully operational, with potential short-notice disruptions to air travel and slow security checks. Treating a road closure as an airport closure can cost you a seat you could have used.
Insurance determines who pays the medical bill. Australia states that the Australian government will not pay medical costs. The US State Department notes that Medicare and Medicaid do not cover expenses abroad and that the US government does not pay medical bills. It recommends supplemental cover for medical evacuation.
Government movement rules offer another signal of risk. In its July 2026 advisory, the US embassy in Dhaka notes that the US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to citizens outside Dhaka.
What’s coming next: Durga Puja 16–21 October 2026
The FCDO states that the Hindu festival of Durga Puja will take place in Bangladesh from 16 to 21 October 2026. Public celebrations are expected to bring large crowds and increased security, with potential violence noted from previous years. This is the next dated window in which central Dhaka can fill with crowds at short notice.
Two regional risks sit alongside the festival. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts — Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban. It also notes an increased risk of flooding in the northeast, in the Sylhet region, with flash floods and landslides having affected the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet. The US State Department goes further on the Hill Tracts, telling citizens not to travel there for any reason and requiring prior approval from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
For anyone booked out of Dhaka in the second half of October, this is the festival window to plan around.
Where the rules change by departure point
The consular safety net differs by passport.
North America. The US State Department warns that US-Bangladeshi dual nationals may be treated as Bangladeshi by local authorities and may not be recognised as US citizens. Canada’s Bangladesh travel advice states that dual citizenship is legally recognised there. But dual Canadian-Bangladeshi citizens may have limited consular support and different entry and exit requirements.
Europe, including the UK. The FCDO says British nationals of Bangladeshi origin may be considered Bangladeshi citizens by the Bangladeshi government. That can limit UK government assistance; the FCDO advises checking with the Bangladeshi High Commission in the UK.
Australia. Smartraveller advises a high degree of caution and warns that large gatherings can be unpredictable and may turn violent with little or no warning. It also notes that dual nationals may be treated as Bangladeshi, which limits consular services if you are arrested or detained.
Before Durga Puja begins on 16 October
Preparation matters in the days before the festival begins. The FCDO tells travellers to check their transits, insurance and travel advice alerts, as well as airline updates, and to follow local authorities.
- Check the airline, not the airport: confirm your flight status directly before assuming a blocked road means a cancelled departure.
- Confirm evacuation cover in writing: Australia requires comprehensive insurance covering all medical costs, including evacuation, before departure, and Canada advises medical-evacuation cover, so ask for the clause rather than the summary.
- Note your embassy’s own movement rules: the US embassy requires its employees to consult the embassy security office before overnight travel within Dhaka or outside Dhaka for non-essential reasons, the same restriction it applies to itself.
- Watch: the FCDO’s Bangladesh advice page, dated 12 October 2026, for updates through 21 October 2026.
A government assessment, an insurance clause and a flight status put the decision about whether to move in your hands; a road can still close between your hotel and the terminal. Re-read the FCDO page before departure.
Reporting by
Questions? Answers.
How do I subscribe to Bangladesh travel alerts from my government?
The confirmed channel is the US State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program at step.state.gov, which pushes embassy alerts to US citizens. The UK, Canadian and Australian advisories are published on their foreign ministry sites and should be checked directly before departure.
Are Dhaka and other Bangladesh airports ever fully closed by hartals?
Rarely for that reason. The FCDO describes Dhaka international and Sylhet airports as fully operational, with potential short-notice disruption and slow security checks. Airports can close for other reasons: Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport shut after an attack in October 2026, disrupting eight Dhaka–Riyadh flights.
Does travel insurance cover hartal-related missed flights?
Not automatically. The FCDO warns that travel insurance can be invalidated if you travel against its advice, and Canada notes that medical evacuation to Singapore or Thailand may be necessary and can be expensive, with services sometimes payable in cash first.
What should I do if I’m already on the road and a blockade appears?
Contact your airline directly, as the FCDO advises checking airline updates, and follow local authorities. Canada’s consular line for emergencies runs through the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa, reachable at any time.
