Travel agencies must display fares on tickets or face legal action: Adviser Bashir

Sheikh Bashir Uddin, adviser for civil aviation and tourism ministry, announced that all travel agencies must now display the price of airline tickets on the tickets themselves, and those that fail to comply will face legal action.

The announcement came during a press conference at the Secretariat's conference hall today (13 November), following the final approval of the Civil Aviation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 and the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) Amendment Ordinance 2025 at an advisory council meeting.

The adviser highlighted that over the past 16 years, the sector had been plagued by mismanagement and malpractice.

"Due to legal weaknesses, migrant workers have fallen victim to institutional corruption. Tickets to the Middle East costing Tk30,000–40,000 were being sold for Tk150,000–190,000, leaving passengers unaware of the actual fare," he said.

Bashir stressed that the main goal of the legal amendments is to ensure competitive pricing while protecting passenger rights and services.

Under the new law, an agency may no longer sell tickets issued by another agency. Until now, such brokerage-style practices had created chaos in the ticketing business.

Last year, about 3.2 million Bangladeshis travelled abroad, and "crores of taka were overcharged through fraudulent ticket sales", with much of this money allegedly laundered abroad, he added.

Regarding group bookings, the adviser clarified that tickets cannot be booked under the names of BMET-certified migrant workers for groups, except for family or organisational purposes.

He added, "Airline operations are fully automated, allowing systems to track where tickets are sold. Any airline found violating regulations will be held accountable. Enforcement will involve the Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection, the Ministry, the Civil Aviation Authority, and mobile courts."

Addressing concerns about potential job losses among General Sales Agent (GSA) staff due to optional appointments, he stated, "Thirty-two air operators are active in the country, and a single GSA often manages multiple operators. Claims of widespread job losses are imaginary, unfair, and untrue."

Bashir added that transactions between companies owned by the same family must be treated as separate entities, and sharing agency IDs is now a punishable offence.

The maximum penalty under the new law is a fine of Tk10 lakh and one year's imprisonment, he added.

On Hajj flights, the adviser said efforts are underway to replace charter flights with commercial flights to reduce costs. If implemented, Hajj expenses will fall, Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia will be able to visit home more affordably, and airline profits will increase.