Within a week of the Fly Far International scam, another online travel agency, Travel Business Portal, has reportedly shut down after taking large sums in advance payments from customers. This is the third such case in two months, following the case of Flight Expert in August.

Many customers today reported on social media that they were unable to check ticket prices or complete bookings on the Travel Business Portal website. Attempts to contact the company's executives failed, while its office at Hasan Uddin Tower in Shahjadpur, Dhaka, remained closed.

"OTAs lure customers with offers like extra discounts, advance payment collection, and cashback schemes, taking a huge amount of money before suddenly disappearing. We have written to the concerned ministry several times to stop such practices. Had effective measures been taken, such frauds wouldn't have kept recurring," Afsia Jannat Saleh, immediate past secretary general of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), told The Daily Star.

In response to growing concerns, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism issued a statement on Thursday warning that several agencies are operating without proper approval. The ministry said earlier directives for unregistered agencies to regularise operations had not been properly implemented.

The notice urged all unregistered OTAs to apply for registration through the Online Travel Agency Management System by November 6, warning that failure to comply would result in strict legal action.