B Mirror Report : The government has promulgated an ordinance strengthening the regulatory framework for travel agencies, introducing penalties of up to one year’s imprisonment and fines of up to Tk 10 lakh for violations, in a bid to ensure fair air ticket pricing and protect passengers.

Issued by order of the President, the ordinance amends the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) Act, 2013. It was signed by Dr Hafiz Ahmed Chowdhury, Secretary of the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

According to the ordinance, which was promulgated on January 1, 2026, the amendments were made to improve customer service, ensure fair pricing, promote good governance in the aviation transport sector, and prevent harassment of passengers, particularly migrant workers, by both offline and online travel agencies.

As Parliament remains dissolved and immediate action was deemed necessary, the ordinance was issued under Article 93(1) of the Constitution and came into effect immediately. Its provisions will prevail over any other law concerning the registration, control and operation of travel agencies.

The ordinance introduces stricter registration and disclosure requirements, including detailed affidavits in cases where agencies are registered in the names of family members. It also mandates bank guarantees of Tk 10 lakh for offline travel agencies and Tk 1 crore for online travel agencies.

Under the new rules, travel agencies must submit annual financial statements and detailed activity reports to the government. Registration certificates will be renewed every three years, subject to satisfactory performance reviews.

The ordinance prohibits various malpractices, including illegal use of airline ticketing systems, sharing of login credentials, excessive fare collection, misleading advertisements, artificial ticket shortages, unauthorized ticket trading, and irregular ticketing practices involving migrant workers.

In the public interest, the government has been empowered to temporarily suspend a travel agency’s registration certificate without prior notice or hearing if deemed necessary.

Any violation of the law or rules framed under it will be treated as a criminal offence, punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 10 lakh, or both.

The ordinance also allows the government to impose travel bans on individuals associated with travel agencies, in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs, to prevent them from leaving the country in cases involving fraud, corruption or other urgent matters.

Additionally, the government may issue directives to the regulatory authority from time to time, which the authority will be required to implement.