CID Files Tk 35 Crore Laundering Case Against Flight Expert
Collected Photo
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed a money laundering case against the online travel agency Flight Expert on charges of laundering nearly Tk 35 crore.
CID’s Special Superintendent of Police Jasim Uddin Khan confirmed the matter on Monday. He said the Financial Crime Unit filed the case at Motijheel Police Station, Dhaka.
The accused in the case are Flight Expert Managing Director Salman Bin Rashid Shah Sayeem, President MA Rashid Shah Samrat, Director Amir Hamza Rashid Shah Nayeem, AKM Shahdat Hossain, Abdul Gani Mehedi, Head of Finance Md Sakib Hossain, and Soma International Services Owner Motaher Hossain.
CID investigations revealed that Flight Expert launched its online air ticket sales in 2016 and later expanded to offer hotel bookings and Hajj and Umrah packages.
Although the firm registered as a joint-stock company named FEBD in 2019, it conducted business and banking transactions under both the names Flight Expert and FEBD.
The organization utilized both B2B (Business-to-Business) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) methods to sell tickets. By offering unusual discounts, the firm collected massive amounts of advance money from sub-agents and general customers nationwide.
However, Salman fled the country in early August 2025 without providing the promised tickets.
Funds deposited into FEBD bank accounts were then moved to Flight Expert accounts. Investigators found primary evidence of attempts to conceal the source, ownership, and nature of criminal proceeds by transferring, withdrawing, and converting funds through various individual and institutional accounts.
Even after the Salman’s departure, several directors and the head of finance continued to withdraw and transfer significant sums, proving they embezzled funds acquired through fraud.
The investigation also highlighted that while Flight Expert sourced tickets through IATA-approved travel agencies, they frequently failed to deliver tickets to customers who had paid in full. In some cases, the firm even collected payments from multiple sources for the same ticket.
The suspects embezzled Tk 34,69,31,090 through fraud and then laundered the money through various banking transfers, handovers, and conversions.
CID will lead the case investigation and continue all necessary activities to further the inquiry.
