Use of international cards for purchase of air tickets from airlines operating in Bangladesh

Foreign Exchange Policy Department Bangladesh Bank Head Office Dhaka www.bb.org.bd FE Circular No. 47 Date: November 19, 2025 All Authorized Dealers in Foreign Exchange in Bangladesh Dear Sirs, Use of international cards for purchase of air tickets from airlines operating in Bangladesh Attention of Authorized Dealers (ADs) is invited to paragraph 93 of FE Circular No. 37, dated September 30, 2025 in terms of which international cards are useable by resident Bangladeshi nationals for purchases of air tickets against travels outside Bangladesh. 02. It is observed that travellers from Bangladesh often face inconveniences in purchasing air tickets at competitive prices due to the unavailability of international card-based settlement options within Bangladesh. To facilitate fair pricing, convenience and market competitiveness, it has been decided that 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, subject to the terms outlined below: (a) All ticket sale proceeds shall be acquired through payment service arrangements with AD banks operating in Bangladesh, ensuring that foreign exchange earnings are properly captured by domestic banking channels. (b) International cards issued under travel entitlement as per paragraph 9 of FE Circular No. 37/2025, after purchase of air tickets, may be refilled/replenished up to the exact amount used for the ticket purchase. (c) Prior to refill, ADs shall ensure that payment for ticket purchases has been fully acquired through ADs operating in Bangladesh. (d) ADs shall maintain separate records for each refill under this provision. Cont’d to page-2

-2- (e) Ticket sale proceeds may be credited with foreign currency (FC) accounts maintained by airlines with ADs in Bangladesh in accordance with paragraph 33, chapter 13 of the Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Transactions (GFET)-2018. Accordingly, the scope of paragraph 33 ibid shall stand extended. However, the acquired funds needs to be encashed in Taka in case of locally owned airlines. (f) Balances held in such FC accounts may be used for remittance of eligible surplus earnings abroad without encashment, in accordance with applicable provisions under chapter 10 of GFET and subsequent circulars. 03. ADs shall adhere to the reporting routine to Bangladesh Bank. Other provisions relating to the issuance and use of international cards shall remain unchanged. Please bring the contents of the circular to the notice of your respective constituents. Yours faithfully,

(Md. Harun-Ar-Rashid) Director (FEPD) Phone: 9530123