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million), Bangladesh ($214.1 million), Algeria ($196.3 million), Pakistan ($188.2 million), and Lebanon ($141.2 million).

The IATA urged governments to abide by international agreements and treaty obligations to enable airlines to repatriate the funds.

Officials of foreign carriers in Dhaka said they have to bring in US dollars to pay for refuelling their planes in Bangladesh even though they have money in Bangladesh.

A senior official of Turkish Airlines said, “We were forced to reduce the number of flights from Dhaka to minimise loss. From Bangladesh, we are not selling tickets of low fares. We are selling these tickets online from outside Bangladesh or through our agents.

“We are discouraging Bangladeshi people from buying tickets from Dhaka as it will be expensive,” the official added.

Ejaz Kadry, sales and station official at Turkish Airlines, said, “Usually an airline tries to sell as many tickets as possible. But we are trying to sell fewer from Dhaka so that we don’t pile up the money we cannot repatriate.”

Officials of Saudia and Singapore Airlines echoed Kadry.

An official of a foreign carrier said, “If the situation does not improve, foreign airlines will be forced to stop their operations here which will damage Bangladesh’s image abroad.”

ATAB in January wrote to the civil aviation and tourism ministry, seeking its intervention. It said foreign airlines are now reluctant to do business in Bangladesh and are flying to destinations where profits are higher.

Aviation Expert Kazi Wahidul Alam said due to the reduction of flight frequencies of airlines, the number of available seats has dropped driving ticket prices high.

He said carriers will be forced to reduce flights if they cannot send the money back home on time.

Around 30 foreign carriers operate around 90 international flights from Dhaka daily, according to sources at the Dhaka airport.