The government has approved drafts of two ordinances introducing tougher measures, including penalties up to Tk10,00,000 and one year of imprisonment for offenders to prevent corruption, fraud, and passenger harassment in air ticket sales.
The drafts of the Civil Aviation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 and the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 received final approval at a meeting of the Council of Advisers on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin said the new laws are aimed at ensuring transparency in ticket sales and improving passenger services.
Bashir Uddin said the new ordinances address loopholes in the existing laws by adding 11 new grounds for cancellation or suspension of registration certificates.
These include illegal ticket sales, overcharging, creating artificial ticket shortages, selling tickets for third countries, and changing passenger information after group booking confirmations, he said.
He added that the government will have the authority to temporarily suspend the registration of any travel agency found to be involved in fraud or financial misappropriation. In serious cases, temporary travel bans may also be imposed on the accused individuals.
The Bangladesh Travel Agency (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, also aims to curb illegal financial transactions, money laundering, ticket hoarding, and tax evasion in the travel sector, while protecting the rights of migrant workers.
Over 80% of passengers using Bangladesh’s air routes are migrant workers, the adviser said. “Once the new laws are implemented, their rights will be better protected, transparency in ticket sales will increase, and passenger services will become more modern, secure, and people-oriented.”
“The new laws will establish discipline, financial transparency, and accountability in the aviation and travel sectors,” Bashir Uddin said.
Civil Aviation Secretary Nasreen Jahan, Additional Secretary Farhim Bhima, and other senior officials were present at the briefing.
