Aviation sources said the airlines had maintained the previous exchange rate despite the rise of dollar price a year back and continued to sell tickets for international routes at a rate of Tk 59 per dollar until it was fixed at Tk 61.5 from April 1.

Vice President of Bangladesh Airlines Representative (BAR) Samsed Ehsan said that the companies were selling tickets at the rate of Tk 59 per dollar, subsidising crores of taka "considering the interest of the passengers." "But if we continue it any longer, the companies will have to incur huge loss," he said.

The aviation sources said a ticket of Bangladesh Biman's Dhaka-London-Dhaka flight costs $851 and was being sold at Tk 50,209 but now the price stands at Tk 52,336.

The price of a ticket of the British Airways for the same route has been increased by about Tk 2,500 for the $950 ticket. The Emirates sells the ticket for the same route at $860 meaning that the present price stands at Tk 52,890 from the earlier Tk 50,740.

A $1,194 ticket of Biman's New York-Dhaka-New York route was previously available at Tk 70,446 but would now cost Tk 73,431. The British Airways earlier used to charge Tk 85,550 for $1,450 per ticket to fly the same route but now the price has been fixed at Tk 89,175 while the Emirates' previous fare of Tk 80,240 has been fixed at Tk 83,640.

The price of an Emirates ticket for the Dhaka-Dubai-Dhaka flight was Tk 29,500; the new tariff has been fixed at Tk 30,750.