Another major online travel agency, Fly Far International, has allegedly gone missing with customer deposits worth crores of taka, leaving hundreds stranded ahead of the holiday season—just two months after the Flight Expert scandal shook Bangladesh’s travel industry.
Dozens of customers claimed that Fly Far, which operated from Ka-9/A, Haji Abdul Latif Mansion, Bashundhara Residential Area, abruptly shut down this week after taking large advance payments for air tickets, hotel bookings, and holiday packages.
Since Tuesday, October 14, Fly Far’s website has been offline, its social media pages deleted, and calls to its hotline and contact numbers unanswered. Even customers who visited the company’s office on on Wednesday found it locked.
“I deposited Tk54 lakh with the company, but now I cannot reach anyone,” a client told a travel blogger in a video posted online.
Fly Far had been heavily promoting “holiday mega deals” on Facebook and Instagram, offering up to 50% discounts on airfares and packages to Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
Several victims said they transferred money via bank accounts and mobile financial services, expecting tickets and itineraries within days. However, communication from the company stopped altogether after payment.
Kamrul Islam, spokesperson for US-Bangla Airlines, confirmed that while some travel agencies maintain advance deposits with airlines, end-customers are not directly affected.
“No passenger who booked directly with us is at risk. However, travel agents and sub-agents who deposited money with Fly Far will face financial losses if the company fails to return it,” he told the media.
This is the latest in a series of fraudulent incidents involving online travel companies. In recent months, platforms such as 24Ticket.com, FlightBooking.com, and most recently Flight Expert have faced similar allegations, with investigations launched in August following complaints.
Abdus Salam Aref, former president of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), said repeated incidents point to the absence of effective regulatory control.
“After the Flight Expert case, we expected strong oversight and digital monitoring of online travel agencies. But no meaningful action has been taken yet,” Aref added.
Industry experts warned that the lack of licensing requirements and financial transparency in the booming online travel sector leaves customers vulnerable. They urged the government to introduce mandatory registration, financial audits, and a security deposit system for all online travel platforms.
Meanwhile, victims have started filing complaints with law enforcement and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP), demanding investigation into Fly Far’s disappearance and recovery of their money.
The industry is expanding faster than the regulation that governs it, and that gap is now being exploited by fraudsters, said experts.
