"If a passenger can purchase tickets directly from the airline offices or from their General Sales Agents (GSA) at cheaper rates, then why they will come to us," said MA Muhaimin Saleh, president of Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (Atab).

The Atab president alleged that many airlines in Dhaka were directly selling tickets to the passengers without charging any commission. "If the airlines continue practising this, we will have to shut our business," he said.

The travel agents have to spend a handsome amount of money to become agents of the airlines, he said speaking at a get-together organised by Atab in Dhaka.

The members of Atab and Board of Airlines Representatives (BAR), a platform of airlines representatives, attended the programme.

At the meeting, the Atab president also urged the airline representatives not to seek any bank guarantee from agents when they approach them with a bulk order for tickets.

“As per International Association of Travel Agents (IATA) rules, the travel agents already have IATA authorised bank guarantees for ticket stock," said MA Bari, an Atab member speaking about the problems they are facing.

"Despite that, airlines ask for additional individual bank guarantee from the agents, which leaves an extra financial burden on the travel agents," he said.

He also sought assistance from the airlines' in providing training for the employees of travel agencies in order to improve passenger services. "We are far behind in providing world class services to the passengers," Bari admitted.

The Atab leaders also admitted that some of their members are involved in false booking of tickets, forgery of passport and visas and misappropriation of airlines' money.

Speaking at the meeting, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director M Mahmoodur Rahman, also chairman of the BAR, assured the Atab leaders of discussing the matters in their next meeting.

Representatives from Saudi Airlines, British Airways, Indian Airlines, Air India, Thai Airways, Qatar Airways and Gulf Air, among others, were present at the meeting.