Staff Reporter :
The administrator of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) has uncovered extensive financial irregularities committed during the tenure of the organization’s dissolved executive committee.
The findings include the misuse of funds collected from members for large cash withdrawals made in violation of the association’s constitution.
In a letter dated October 22, ATAB’s recently outgoing administrator and Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Motakabbir Ahmed, stated that several financial discrepancies were discovered after he took charge of the organization’s accounts.
According to the letter, between July 16 and September 25, 2025, a total of Tk 4,596,250 was collected from 91 members for a “fam trip” (an experience-sharing tour for travel agents). Before the collection began, ATAB’s bank account already had a balance of Tk 4,138,566.
However, within just a week of the administrator’s appointment, refund requests started pouring in from participants. The administrator’s report said that Tk 4,192,850 was supposed to be refunded to 84 members, but this amount was not found in ATAB’s account. Only a small number of members received partial refunds.
The letter further revealed that between July 10 and August 4, 2025, a total of Tk 4.5 million was withdrawn from the association’s bank account through four separate cheques – transactions that, according to the administrator, were “beyond the scope of authority” under Section 53(a) of ATAB’s constitution.
When the administrator took office, the account held only Tk 3,405,796, far less than the total collected amount, leaving ATAB unable to reimburse the participants as promised.
Letters have been sent to former president Abdus Salam Aref, former secretary general Afsia Jannat Saleh, and former finance secretary Shafiq Ullah Nantu, urging them to return the money immediately to resolve the issue. The letter also warned that legal measures would be taken if the funds were not repaid.
Earlier, the Ministry of Commerce dissolved the ATAB executive committee over allegations of financial misconduct and appointed an administrator to restore transparency and accountability in the organization’s financial operations.
Copies of the administrator’s letter have been forwarded to the Ministry of Commerce, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, and the Director General of the Trade Organization Wing.
According to ministry sources, preparations are underway to launch a formal investigation to determine the extent of the financial losses and whether the former leaders breached trust or violated their responsibilities.
Representing more than a thousand travel agencies across the country, ATAB is one of Bangladesh’s most influential associations in the civil aviation and tourism sector. The recent allegations have sparked deep concern among travel business owners about the organization’s financial integrity.
