HSIA’s third terminal set to open soon

The government has announced plans to open the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka by 16 December this year, or at the start of 2027, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, M Rashiduzzaman Millat has said.

He made these remarks on Thrusday following a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat.

Spanning approximately 542,000 square meters, the new terminal is designed to accommodate an additional 12–16 million passengers annually and handle up to 900,000 tonnes of cargo, significantly boosting the airport’s capacity.

State Minister Millat urged the Japanese delegation to reconsider Bangladesh’s position and submit a new proposal.

The two parties also agreed to hold another meeting soon to continue moving the process forward.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, and the Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun.

The third terminal has been non-operational for approximately a year and a half due to disputes over management and revenue-sharing arrangements between the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and the Japanese consortium, which includes Japan Airport Terminal Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Nippon Koei, and Narita International Airport Corporation.

However, after taking office, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman instructed authorities to resume negotiations with Japan, leading to renewed talks, including a key meeting on March 13 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Aviation experts stress that operationalizing the third terminal is essential to alleviate congestion at Dhaka airport and help Bangladesh achieve its goal of becoming a regional aviation hub.

The delay has drawn criticism, with many pointing to policy indecision under the previous interim administration, which left this critical infrastructure underutilized.

Earlier, on April 3, Bangladesh and Japan held a bilateral meeting to discuss the third terminal’s operation and maintenance.

Although no final agreement has been reached, the two sides discussed a revised proposal presented by Japan regarding operational and maintenance responsibilities.

Key points of discussion included the airport’s embarkation fees, upfront payments, and revenue-sharing models.