Dhaka, Jan 03 (V7N) - The Government of Bangladesh has issued a new ordinance amending the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) Act, 2013, to ensure good governance in the travel agency sector, prevent artificial ticket shortages, and protect migrant workers from harassment.

The ordinance was promulgated on Thursday, January 1, by President Md. Sahabuddin under Article 93(1) of the Constitution. It was gazetted on Friday, January 2, by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, according to the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.

The amended law introduces different bank guarantee requirements for online and offline travel agencies. Offline agencies must maintain a bank guarantee of Tk 10 lakh, while online agencies are required to hold a guarantee of Tk 1 crore.

The ordinance strictly prohibits “false bookings” or creating artificial ticket shortages through fabricated seat reservations. Travel agencies are barred from buying or selling tickets from other agencies (B2B transactions) and must use government-approved financial channels for all ticket transactions.

To protect consumer interests, agencies cannot collect advance payments through deceptive offers, fraudulent practices, or flashy advertisements. For migrant workers, purchasing tickets from third countries or changing passenger details after ticket confirmation is considered an offense.

Penalties under the amended law have been strengthened. Violations can result in imprisonment of up to one year, fines up to Tk 10 lakh, or both. The registration authority is also empowered to impose travel bans on individuals involved in fraud or corruption in special cases.

The ordinance sets new rules for license renewal. Travel agency registrations must be renewed every three years, and annual reports including financial statements must be submitted to the government. Individuals with defaulted loans are considered ineligible for travel agency registration.

END/MD/SMA/