The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism (MoCAT) has issued show cause notice to 30 travel agencies for hiking air ticket price through manipulation and fraud. Bangladeshi workers going abroad have been the most affected by it.
Sources said 30 travel agencies were found to have hoarded tickets, blocking inventory without names, then advertising and selling them through closed WhatsApp groups.
MoCAT sources said it has issued show-cause notices and summoned for hearings; among them, Kazi Air International, Citicom International, King Air Aviation, RBC International, Mega International, Mother Love Air Travels, JS Travels and Tours, Sadia Travels, Messrs NMSS International, Hashem Air International, Biplob International, and Four Trip Ltd.
They have blocked tickets and sold them either directly or through sub-agents by advertising in WhatsApp groups," allegations said.
Secretary General of the Association of Travel Agents, Bangladesh (ATAB) Afsia Jannat Saleh criticized the monopoly operated by GSAs, saying, "Despite fulfilling all criteria, including providing bank guarantees, many legitimate agencies are denied ticket access, allowing a handful to manipulate the market."
Before the crackdown, fares from Dhaka to key Saudi cities like Jeddah, Riyadh, Madinah, and Dammam soared to Tk 190,000 during December-February period. These inflated prices disproportionately affected migrant workers.
Following regulatory measures, airfares plummeted. Tickets to Saudi destinations now average Tk 48,000 to Tk 50,000, marking a nearly 75 per cent reduction.
However, the action against these excessive price hikers is still pending though the investigation has finished long before.
A government investigation has exposed a sweeping airfare manipulation scam involving 11 international airlines, their General Sales Agents (GSAs), and 30 travel agencies for accused of inflating ticket prices and defrauding consumers, particularly outbound migrant workers.
A report forwarded by MoCAT to the office of Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, reveals systemic malpractice in the sale of airline tickets, often under the guise of group bookings without passenger names.
These tickets were stockpiled and resold through unofficial channels, such as WhatsApp groups, at prices two to three times higher than the published airline rates.
Acting on the findings, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has frozen the bank accounts of Ahmed Yusuf Walid, Managing Director of Galaxy International who serves as the GSA for multiple major airlines in Bangladesh and his wife, citing tax evasion.
The NBR has also launched a broader probe into the financial records of GSAs and travel agencies suspected of manipulating airfares and dodging taxes.
"We are taking stringent action against those who exploited the system and evaded taxes. In some cases, tickets worth Tk 50,000 were sold for as high as Tk 150,000. This fraud will not be tolerated," Tax Commissioner Mohammad Abdur Rakib said.
NBR sources said letters were sent to several banks in March requesting transaction histories and account statements of suspected agencies.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, which formed a nine-member committee to investigate the airfare hike, said strict regulatory action would follow.
The report urges airlines to act not only as profit-driven entities but also as public service providers, particularly for the benefit of low-income travelers and migrant workers who sustain Bangladesh's economy through remittances.
"We will not allow syndication or exploitation in the name of ticket sales. Our priority is protecting passengers, especially migrant workers," a MoCAT spokesperson told this correspondent.
