An online travel agency named ‘Flight Expert’ has come under serious allegations of embezzling hundreds of crores of taka.
According to industry insiders, the company’s chairman M A Rashid Shah Samrat and his son, CEO Salman Rashid, are reportedly missing and believed to have fled the country with their families.
A leaked WhatsApp conversation obtained by Channel i Online reveals that Salman Rashid admitted to shutting down the company and going into hiding, citing “security concerns.”
President of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), Abdus Salam Aref, confirmed that complaints have been lodged against Flight Expert.
“We have received several allegations against the company and will investigate the matter on Sunday,” he said.
Both the chairman and CEO of Flight Expert also held positions within ATAB’s OTA Standing Committee, but repeated attempts to contact them by phone have gone unanswered.
In the leaked WhatsApp message, Salman Rashid claimed he was a victim of betrayal by colleagues.
He wrote: “A betrayal has occurred– Saeed, Hossain, and Sakib deliberately shifted all the blame onto me. During Thursday’s meeting, I was denied the chance to defend myself. This morning, they withdrew nearly Tk 3 crore or less and kept it themselves. The company is now closed.”
He further added: “Due to extreme threats and accusations against me, I have taken leave for my own safety. I never intended to turn away like this. Thank you all.”
Following the news, aggrieved customers and travel agency owners flocked to Flight Expert’s Banani office in Dhaka, only to find it locked.
Several customers reported paying advance money for tickets with assurances of confirmation, but at the last moment, they were informed that their flights had been canceled.
The scandal has sent shockwaves across Bangladesh’s travel industry, leaving thousands of customers and agents in limbo.
