History of ATAB
The first generation Travel Agents of Bangladesh started feeling the necessity of a broad based association of the travel agents of the country to protect their rights and privileges and to ensure the healthy growth of the travel trade in addition to creating a platform for developing fellowship and friendship amongst the travel agents of the country. With the above aims and object
ives in mind, the first meeting of the travel agents of Bangladesh were held at Dhaka on 22nd October, 1976. In the second meeting held on 11th December, 1976 at 6.00 p.m., an association, namely, “IATA Travel Agent’s Association” were formed at Dhaka Club. M.A. Talib and Mr. A.N.B. Karim were elected as the Founder-President and Founder-General Secretary respectively of the newly formed association. Other founder-members were Mr. Md. Sarqum Ali, Mr. Huda, Mr. M.M. Haque, Mr. Rahman, Mr. A. Salam Khan and Mr. Masoodul Haque. The first Annual General Meeting (AGM) of this unregistered Association were held in Bangkok on 10th April, 1978 while the second AGM were held on 29th June, 1979 at Dhaka Club. The historic amendment of the constitution of the Association were adopted in the second AGM by re-naming the association as “Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh”, in short, “ATAB”. There were 2 types of membership in ATAB viz General Members and Associate Members. The rights & privileges including the voting rights of Associate Members were restricted and limited. They were eligible to become general members only on getting approval from Biman or accredition from IATA. Membership of ATAB by the travel agents of the country were optional.
