Bangladesh Bank has authorised resident Bangladeshis to purchase outbound air tickets from airlines operating in the country using their international cards, a move likely to improve convenience and ensure more competitive pricing for travellers.
The decision addresses long-standing difficulties passengers face in securing tickets at fair rates due to the absence of international card-based settlement options within Bangladesh, officials said.
They noted that the policy also aligns domestic ticketing practices with international digital standards.
Under the new rules, Bangladeshis with valid visas may now use their international cards to buy tickets directly from any overseas airline operating locally, including on popular routes such as Dhaka-Singapore and Dhaka-Dubai.
"… Resident Bangladeshi nationals, having visas where applicable, may use their international cards for purchase of air tickets from airlines operating in Bangladesh for travelling abroad," the central bank said in a notification on Wednesday.
Previously, the use of international cards was permitted only for travel-related purchases made abroad.
Officials said many travellers had encountered challenges in obtaining reasonably priced tickets locally because of limited digital settlement mechanisms, a constraint the new policy seeks to eliminate.
BB officials also stated that all ticket sale proceeds must be settled through payment arrangements with authorised dealer (AD) banks in Bangladesh to ensure transparency and proper channelling of foreign exchange earnings.
The central bank has further allowed international cards issued under travel entitlement to be refilled or replenished up to the exact amount spent on ticket purchases.
"Such refills may only be made once the AD bank confirms full realisation of the ticket sale proceeds through domestic banking channels," a senior BB official told The Financial Express in response to a query.
In addition, the central bank has permitted airlines to retain ticket sale proceeds in foreign currency accounts maintained with AD banks in Bangladesh.
"The balances held in such accounts may be used to remit eligible surplus earnings abroad without converting them into local currency, BDT, subject to applicable regulatory guidelines," the official added.
Industry insiders view the move as a step towards aligning the country's aviation ticketing framework with international digital standards, reducing price disparities between domestic and overseas sales channels, and improving foreign exchange oversight through formal banking systems.
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