PM orders expedited opening of 3rd terminal at HSIA
Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed authorities to expedite the opening of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, though no specific deadline has yet been fixed, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita said on Sunday.
The directive came during a special inter-ministerial meeting convened by the prime minister at the Secretariat to review the status of the long-awaited terminal, a flagship infrastructure project intended to ease congestion and modernise the country’s busiest airport.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the minister said the prime minister had been briefed in detail about the current condition of the third terminal and its operational readiness. “After hearing the details, he instructed that it be opened as soon as possible,” she said.
Although no timeframe was announced, the minister indicated that the prime minister had provided specific recommendations on several outstanding issues. Relevant authorities, she added, would move forward in line with those directions.
Also addressing journalists, Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), said the prime minister had issued multiple instructions regarding the terminal’s launch and that follow-up actions would now be taken accordingly.
He disclosed that a meeting with the Japanese ambassador is scheduled for Monday, signalling that discussions with development partners remain central to the terminal’s operationalisation. Japan has been closely associated with major aviation infrastructure projects in Bangladesh in recent years.
The Bida chief noted that a new minister has recently assumed charge of the aviation portfolio and is in the process of reviewing the matter. He described the third terminal issue as one that stretches back six years, reflecting the prolonged gestation and complex coordination involved in bringing the project to fruition.
When asked whether the government would float a fresh tender for operating the third terminal, the Bida chairman declined to give a direct answer. “I cannot comment on that at this moment. This is a government-to-government (G2G) issue,” he said, suggesting that any decision regarding management or operational partnerships would be handled at the state level.
The third terminal, once fully operational, is expected to significantly enhance passenger handling capacity, streamline immigration and baggage services, and position Dhaka as a more competitive regional aviation hub. However, despite substantial construction progress, its formal inauguration and commercial launch have yet to take place.
Sunday’s meeting and the prime minister’s directive signal renewed urgency at the highest level of government to bring the project into operation, though questions remain regarding timelines, management arrangements and outstanding procedural matters.
