Council of Advisers passes two ordinances introducing strict penalties for travel agencies and mandating transparency in ticket pricing to protect migrant workers who make up over 80 percent of air passengers in Bangladesh.

Government has approved sweeping reforms to Bangladesh's aviation and travel sectors, introducing stringent penalties for fraudulent practices and mandating greater transparency in ticket pricing to protect the rights of migrant workers and passengers.

Council of Advisers today approved the drafts of the Civil Aviation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 and the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, marking a significant shift towards accountability and good governance in two critical sectors.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser S K Bashir announced the approvals at a press briefing at the Secretariat this afternoon, emphasising that the reforms were designed with migrant workers in mind.

"As over 80 percent of passengers in Bangladesh's air transport sector are migrant workers, the two ordinances aim to ensure transparency, good governance, and accountability in the country's aviation and travel agency sectors," he said.

The adviser explained that implementation of the ordinances would establish discipline and financial transparency whilst ensuring fair ticket pricing and protecting passenger rights.

"These reforms will safeguard the legitimate rights of migrant workers while making passenger services more modern, safe, and people-friendly," S K Bashir added.

Civil Aviation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 introduces several significant reforms to the existing 2017 Act. For the first time, the phrase ‘ensuring passenger service’ has been incorporated into the title and preamble of the law, creating a legal obligation to uphold passenger safety, comfort, and rights as part of good governance.

Under the new ordinance, appointment of General Sales Agents for foreign air operators has been made optional, aligning with international best practices, whilst domestic air operators are also permitted to appoint GSAs.

To ensure fairness and transparency in ticket distribution, registration of Global Distribution Systems, New Distribution Capability, and API-based digital distribution channels has been made mandatory to prevent ticket blocking, artificial scarcity, and price manipulation.

Ordinance also includes provisions for the submission and monitoring of air operator tariffs for the first time. In line with global environmental and sustainability policies, authorities are now empowered to take measures to reduce carbon footprints, use Sustainable Aviation Fuel, and adopt eco-friendly operational policies.

Government has been authorised to form a ‘Civil Aviation Economic Commission’, which will determine airport fees, charges, royalties, premiums, and rents to ensure economic transparency and fair pricing.

Ordinance also encourages the use of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and digital systems in cyber security and frontier technologies, making the civil aviation sector smarter and more technology-driven.

Officials say the ordinance is consistent with the Chicago Convention, ICAO annexes, and global good governance principles, and is expected to enhance Bangladesh's competitiveness in the international aviation arena.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 has been framed to prevent illegal financial transactions, money laundering, ticket hoarding, fraud, and revenue evasion in the travel trade. The new ordinance adds 11 new grounds for cancellation or suspension of registration certificates, addressing shortcomings in the existing law.

Offences such as illegal ticket sales, overpricing, unauthorised transactions, creating artificial crises, third-country ticket trading, and changing passenger information after group booking confirmation have been made punishable crimes.

To curb fraud and harassment of passengers and migrant workers, strict penalties have been introduced, including a maximum fine of Tk 10 lakh and imprisonment for up to one year, depending on the gravity of the offence.

Government has also been empowered to temporarily suspend the registration of a travel agency upon verified evidence, whilst the regulatory authority may impose temporary travel bans on individuals involved in fraud or financial embezzlement.

"These new laws will help establish good governance, transparency, and accountability in the aviation and travel sectors while protecting passenger rights and promoting international compliance," Adviser Bashir said. Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Nasrin Jahan also spoke at the briefing.

Reforms come at a crucial time for Bangladesh's aviation sector, which serves millions of migrant workers travelling to and from the Middle East and Southeast Asia for employment opportunities.