Travel Agencies Warn of Sector Collapse, Demand Immediate Withdrawal of ‘Unrealistic’ Ordinance

DHAKA, Nov 23, 2025 — CSB NEWS USA: Bangladesh’s travel and tourism sector is facing what industry leaders describe as an “existential crisis,” as the ATAB Member Welfare Unity Alliance on Sunday warned that the proposed Travel Agency Registration and Control Ordinance 2025 could trigger the collapse of nearly 5,000 agencies across the country.

At a human chain organized outside the National Press Club in Dhaka, alliance leaders called the draft ordinance “unrealistic,” “economically destructive,” and “catastrophic” for an industry heavily intertwined with aviation services, labour migration, tourism, and Hajj-Umrah operations.

“This ordinance will shut down our industry”

Alliance Convener Mohammad Jalal Uddin Tipu said the proposed law demonstrates a “fundamental misunderstanding of how the travel sector operates.”

Speaking to reporters, Tipu said several clauses in the draft contradict industry realities—particularly Section 5, which seeks to ban the purchase and sale of air tickets between agencies.

> “Most travel agencies in Bangladesh do not have direct ticket-issuing authorization from airlines,” he said. “Inter-agency ticketing is not a luxury—it is a lifeline. Banning it will force thousands of agencies to close.”

Tipu further warned that the proposed security deposit requirement, ranging from Tk 10 lakh to Tk 1 crore, would impose an “impossible financial burden” on small and medium-sized firms, many of which operate on narrow margins.

Restrictions on business transfers, shared offices also criticised

Industry representatives also expressed alarm over Section 9, which restricts business licence transfers to family members, prohibits recruiting agents from operating multiple services at a single address, and empowers authorities to suspend licences without prior hearings.

Tipu argued that such provisions contradict existing national laws:

> “Under current regulations, having multiple business licences at the same address is legal. Many recruiting and Hajj agencies have long operated from shared premises. This ordinance would make their operations illegal overnight.”

“Families will suffer”: Alliance leaders say livelihoods are at stake.

Alliance Member Secretary Mohammad Juman Chowdhury said the draft ordinance ignores the operational realities of thousands of small agencies that depend on larger firms for ticket guarantees.

> “If implemented, this ordinance will not only shut down institutions but jeopardize the future of thousands of families,” he warned.

Chowdhury also condemned the proposed escalation of penalties—up to three years’ imprisonment and Tk 50 lakh in fines—as “excessive,” arguing that existing national laws already provide sufficient enforcement mechanisms.

Concerns over timing: ‘Interim government should not impose sweeping reforms’

Speakers cautioned that implementing such drastic regulatory changes during the tenure of an interim government risks instability and undermines stakeholder confidence.

They insisted that any law affecting thousands of businesses must undergo parliamentary debate and public scrutiny under an elected government to ensure legitimacy and transparency.

Memorandum submitted to Chief Adviser and key ministries

Following the human chain, a delegation led by Tipu submitted memorandums to:

The Office of the Chief Adviser

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism

The Ministry of Law Affairs

The memorandum warned that the ordinance, if enacted, would:

cause widespread agency closures,

leave thousands of owners, officers, and employees unemployed,

disrupt aviation, labour migration, and religious travel services,

impose unreasonable financial obligations,

criminalise widely practiced inter-agency ticketing, and

introduce punitive measures disproportionate to the sector’s nature.

The alliance urged the government to protect industry stability and safeguard the livelihoods of the workforce that depends on Bangladesh’s travel ecosystem.