Flight Frenzy: Ticketing Platform Flight Expert in Turmoil as CEO Allegedly Flees

Customers and travel agents crowded the City Center office of Flight Expert, Bangladesh’s largest online travel agency (OTA), on Saturday, August 2, after the company’s website became inaccessible. The sudden outage left users unable to access their accounts, see ticket information, or check wallet balances. The situation sparked panic among Hajj travelers and travel agencies, many of whom rely on Flight Expert for airline bookings.

Several employees were also reportedly stranded inside the office, while anxious customers searched for the company’s Managing Director, who has allegedly gone missing.

A visit to the company’s official Facebook page revealed that its last post was related to Hajj 2026 registration, promoting a new package. Since then, no updates have been made, further fueling rumors that the company has shut down operations.

Social media platforms have been flooded with speculation that Flight Expert has ceased to exist and that the company’s owner has absconded with hundreds of millions of takas in customer funds. The company’s phone lines have also gone silent, prompting many aggrieved customers to rush to nearby police stations to file complaints.

Efforts to reach company officials for comments were unsuccessful. However, in a message shared within the company’s internal WhatsApp group, CEO Salman Bin Rashid Shah Sayem confirmed the shutdown and made serious allegations regarding internal betrayal.

In his message, he wrote: “I would like to share something extremely important with you all. Recently, I became a victim of a planned betrayal. Sayeed Hossain and Sakib were behind this incident. In Thursday’s meeting, they collectively shifted all the blame onto me. Unfortunately, I was not even given a chance to defend myself. This morning, they withdrew nearly Tk 30 million and kept it in their possession. Since then, the company’s operations have been entirely shut down. Due to the threats and blame, I’ve been forced to take leave for my physical and mental safety. It was never my intention to step away like this—I sincerely apologize.”

Later in the evening, Masbah Uddin, Officer-in-Charge of Motijheel Police Station, stated, “We’ve been informed since the afternoon that several top officials, including the MD of Flight Expert, may have fled. A police team has been sent to their office to investigate. Company officials present said the MD has not been attending office for some time, and the website is currently unreachable. The situation is still unclear. Police are actively working on it. In the meantime, many customers have come to file general diaries (GDs) with us.”

Flight Expert began its operations in Bangladesh in March 2017. The company quickly rose to prominence by offering airline ticket bookings—both domestic and international—along with hotel reservations, visa processing, and tour packages. Known for competitive pricing, attractive offers, and user-friendly payment options, the platform rapidly gained popularity among budget-conscious travelers.