Business Desk :
The Ministry of Commerce has removed Deputy Secretary Motakabbir Ahmed from his position as the Administrator of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) and appointed Joint Secretary Dr. Saif Uddin Ahmad as his successor, according to a report by UNB.
An official order issued by the Ministry’s Commerce Organization-2 branch on Wednesday (October 22) confirmed the change. The order, signed by Muhammad Rehan Uddin, Director General (Additional Charge) of the ministry, directed Dr. Saif Uddin to complete the ATAB executive committee election within four months.
As per the order, Dr. Saif must prepare a proper voter list, conduct the election, and hand over responsibilities to the newly elected committee within the stipulated time. He has been appointed under Section 17 of the Commerce Organization Act, 2022, in the “greater interest” of ATAB.
However, UNB reports that Motakabbir Ahmed’s removal comes amid growing controversy over a ticket syndicate accused of inflating airfare prices to the Middle East. After he took office, the price of tickets that usually cost around Tk 40,000 reportedly soared to over Tk 1 lakh.
Sources alleged that Motakabbir maintained close ties with members of the syndicate and may have personally benefited from the situation. He is also accused of using the syndicate’s influence to obtain flight tickets for two business-class trips to Europe with his family, valued at more than Tk 22 lakh, despite official travel permission being limited to London.
