Airlines cannot force students to buy return air tickets
The government has asked all the airlines operating in Bangladesh not to force the Bangladeshi students willing to pursue higher study abroad to purchase return air tickets.
According to an official circular, from now on, no airline here won’t be able to compel the outbound students to buy their return air tickets at the time of their departures.
Magistrate of Dhaka Shahjalal Airport posted the circular on its Facebook page yesterday.
The circular reads: “As per existing law, it’s totally illegal to force any outgoing students to buy an extra return ticket as the foreign students don’t buy their return air tickets anywhere in the world.”
Biman Bangladesh Airlines already has announced a circular for its passengers. Rest of the airlines will also get a brief in this regard soon.
If the airliners issue any return air ticket against any student passenger, the magistrate will take stern action against them for breaking the law and the government can also cancel their licenses.
“We never force the students to buy their return air ticket, we had to do it in the past because of the pressure from the airlines,” said Aslam Khan, secretary general, Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB).
