The government has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy to eliminate flight ticket anomalies, artificial crises, and the dominance of syndicates. Initiatives are also underway to amend the Travel Agency Act and the Civil Aviation Act to keep airfares within a tolerable range for expatriate workers.
To curb ticket black-marketing, it has been made mandatory to clearly state the travel agency’s name, licence number, and actual selling price on flight tickets.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat shared these details during a question-and-answer session in Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday afternoon, which was presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
Millat disclosed that the government has issued a 10-point circular to safeguard passenger interests and ensure complete transparency in ticket sales. Under this directive, all travel agencies are strictly required to clearly mention their name, licence number, and actual sale price on flight tickets.
Regarding airfares, Millat explained that fares in the global aviation sector are generally determined using a “dynamic pricing” method.
He noted that ticket prices are calculated based on the route, distance, booking time, travel date, seat availability, fuel prices, airport charges, government taxes, and other applicable fees. Consequently, ticket prices on the exact same route can vary at different times due to fluctuations in demand and seat availability.
He added that an unscrupulous group sometimes attempts to black-market tickets at the last minute by creating an artificial crisis, assuring that visible measures are being implemented to halt these malpractices.
The minister informed Jatiya Sangsad of key initiatives to provide special benefits for expatriate workers. In line with the government’s election manifesto, plans are underway to offer special incentives on Biman Bangladesh Airlines tickets for expatriate cardholders.
Additionally, the government is working to introduce special facilities for expatriate cardholders at the Balaka Lounge, along with separate immigration channels and priority check-in services.
Extra Tk902cr for HSIA 3rd terminal
Addressing airport infrastructure, Millat explained the necessity of allocating an additional Tk902 crore to operationalise the Third Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).
This explanation followed allegations from Hannan Masud, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Noakhali-6, who pointed out that the estimated cost of the terminal had escalated multiple times to reach Tk 21,300 crore.
The lawmaker questioned the decision to seek an additional Tk 902 crore when approximately 99.91 per cent of the work was already complete, asking if this move was meant to provide the contractor with opportunities for corruption.
In response, the Civil Aviation Minister clarified that the previous government had a tendency to declare projects complete merely by inaugurating buildings, leaving vital machinery, signalling systems, and other essential integrations unfinished.
This left state assets valued at approximately $2.1 billion at risk of lying idle and non-functional.
The minister noted that while the repayment of JICA loan instalments had already commenced, the terminal was generating zero revenue as it was not yet operational.
Following a comprehensive review of the overall calculations, a total of Tk 902 crore is required to fully open the terminal, which includes settling outstanding dues to the contractor and other agencies.
He assured that once this allocation is approved, the terminal can be made operational swiftly. This will create an opportunity to serve nearly double the passengers instead of the current 1.2 million (12 lakh) passengers, thereby generating the revenue required to service the JICA loan.
Finalising the tourism master plan
To develop the country’s tourism sector, Millat announced that an integrated Tourism Master Plan is being finalised, which has identified 1,498 potential tourist destinations across Bangladesh.
Answering a query from government bench member Shawkat Ara Akhter, he added that drafting for the “National Tourism Policy 2026” has commenced. Furthermore, work is underway to prepare a “Tourism Satellite Account” to secure accurate data and statistics for the tourism industry.
To develop tourist spots, the government is adopting a “Community-Based Tourism” model that engages local residents, while also increasing the manpower and capabilities of the Tourist Police to guarantee tourist safety.
The minister also revealed that the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs will work collaboratively to promote cultural tourism.
To facilitate this, initiatives have been taken to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and establish a joint taskforce between the two ministries.
Simultaneously, there are plans to strengthen the “Beautiful Bangladesh” branding campaign to project the nation as a premier global tourist destination.
