Travel agencies to end up being fined, jailed for dealing visas, recruitment
The Cabinet cleared the draft of Bangladesh Travelling Agency (Registration and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2020 on July 20 keeping provision of maximal six-month imprisonment or BDT 5,00,000 fine or both in case of violation of the provision of not dealing visas or recruitment under the proposed law.
The announcement was made following the cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The PM joined up with the interacting with through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban, while different cabinet members became a member of from Bangladesh Secretariat.
In the bill, a provision has been kept a travel agency can renew its licenses within the half a year even following the expiry of the stipulated time paying out penalty, can start branch offices at home and abroad, and give its ownership, stated Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam.
“In some cases, many travel agencies work as recruiting agencies. If consequently, the travel agencies will be fined. If any travel agency really wants to deal visa or recruitment. It could have to take separate licenses for these,” added Islam.
Accordingly, the travel agencies to any extent further will only carry out ticketing, the Cabinet Secretary said.
However, The Bangladesh Monitor spoke with a number of the travelling agencies in the united states plus they expressed confusion about the brand new provision, stating, “whether it only pertains to recruitment visas and even tourist, medical, student and additional visas”.
If, beneath the new provision, travel agencies can no longer deal any sort of visas, not only recruitment, then it really is a matter of superb concern for both travellers and travel and leisure agencies.
“Dealing visas is an integral part of travel. As a result, it falls beneath the services of a travelling agency since globally travelling agencies are considered “travelling consultants”. The service as well makes the required, yet sometimes complicated, travel procedures convenient for travellers,” said Abdus Salam Aref, former Secretary Standard of Association of TRAVEL COMPANIES of Bangladesh.
Hence, the brand new provision could possibly be about recruitment visas only, he added, seeking even more updates on the problem.
Taufiq Rahman, CEO of Voyage Plus as well expressed the same confusion when asked for a comment.
Thus, travel companies are looking forward to further clarification in the problem, mentioned Md Rafeeuzzaman, President of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh.
