Staff Reporter:
Civil Aviation and Tourism ministry yesterday issued an urgent warning against unregistered and expired travel agencies amid a human trafficking allegation, urging travelers to verify agency licenses before making financial transactions.
The warning came in a press release after the ministry took note of a report published in the Bangla online edition of The Daily Star titled “Human Trafficking to Russia: UK Sanctions Bangladeshi Travel Agency.”
The ministry clarified that the agency involved in the human trafficking allegation is “Dream Home Travels,” not “Dream Home Travels and Tours Limited.”
Following a report published in Kaler Kantho on January 28, 2025, titled “Eight Bangladeshis in Russia War,” the ministry conducted verification and found that the travel agency certificate of Dream Home Travels (Certificate No. 0012021), owned by M Abul Hasan, expired on April 3, 2021.
Under the Bangladesh Travel Agency Registration and Control Act, 2013, registration of travel agencies is mandatory, while all registration and renewal procedures must be completed online through the Travel Agency Management System.
The ministry said operating travel agency businesses without registration or after expiry of licenses is illegal.
It also noted that many agencies have recently been operating without valid registration or after expiry of licenses, with allegations of fraud and harassment against customers.
To prevent such incidents, the ministry urged passengers and travelers not to make any financial transac-tions related to air travel, travel or tour services with unregistered or expired agencies.
It also advised travelers to verify through the Travel Agency Management System whether an agency is duly registered or its license has expired before purchasing air tickets or tour packages in order to avoid fraud and financial losses.
