Dhaka, March 21 -- Religious Affairs Advisor AFM Khalid Hossain has said authorities smashed the "ticket syndicate" of Biman Bangladesh Airlines linked to Umrah travels, ending opportunities to sell tickets at higher prices.

Tickets must be booked using passport numbers of passengers henceforth, he said according to a statement by the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Friday.

"If a ticket is not issued in three days, it'll automatically be cancelled. You can't book tickets in groups and then charge [passengers] twice or thrice for them anymore. We've prepared a policy for this," he said.

On Wednesday, Khalid dismissed media reports claiming that Saudi Arabia had suspended Umrah visas for Bangladeshis, saying such claims were "inaccurate...