New ordinance tightens rules on travel agencies

The government has promulgated an ordinance amending the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2013 to strengthen governance in the travel agency sector, curb artificial ticket shortages, and end harassment of migrant workers.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin issued the ordinance on Thursday under Article 93(1) of the Constitution.

The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs confirmed on Friday that the gazette notification has been published by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division.

The ordinance introduces differentiated bank guarantee requirements, setting it at Tk10 lakh for offline travel agencies while sharply increasing it to Tk1 crore for online travel agencies.

It explicitly bans “false booking,” a practice used to create artificial ticket crises through fabricated seat reservations.

Travel agencies are also barred from buying or selling tickets among themselves and all ticket transactions must be conducted through government-designated financial channels.

To enhance consumer protection, the amended law prohibits agencies from collecting advance payments through fraud, false promises, or misleading advertisements.

For migrant workers, buying or selling tickets via third countries and altering passenger information after ticket confirmation have been declared criminal offences.

The ordinance also strengthens penalties, providing for imprisonment of up to one year, fines of up to Tk10 lakh, or both for violations.

In cases involving fraud or corruption, the registration authority has been empowered to impose travel bans on those concerned.

Under the new compliance framework, travel agencies must renew their registration every three years and submit annual activity reports along with audited financial statements. Loan defaulters are no longer eligible for travel agency registration.