TIB shocked at airlines’ price hike during Eid holidays

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) expressed grave shock as the domestic airlines have hiked the airfare three to four times, taking advantage of the Eid holidays.

In a statement, the anti-graft watchdog described the airfare hike as an ‘atrocious extortion’ and demanded justice for public interest and corporate integrity.

“We are deeply shocked and disappointed to see the media report that some airlines of Bangladesh have brazenly indulged in an unprecedented and atrocious act of extortion by hiking airfare during the Eid holidays,” TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said.

This, he said, is an extremely shameful example of non-compliance with national and international standards which is also unthinkable for outfits involved in the airlines business.

If these airlines represented responsible and prudent corporate practices, they could have planned to make special arrangements to expand aircrafts on temporary basis or increased number of flights to cope up with the increased demand to make additional profit, he said.

Without doing so, in no circumstance they go for such profiteering by abusing the corporate power and indulging in corruption, he added.

He called upon the government authorities, especially the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) and the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) to duly investigate the matter.

“The person responsible for such corruption must be held accountable for the public interest and for ensuring minimum level of corporate honesty and integrity,” Iftekhar said in the statement.