Govt aims to open 3rd terminal by December: CAAB Chairman

The third terminal of Shahjalal International Airport will be operational by December, said Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice-Marshal Mohammad Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan. He said, “We are moving forward towards this goal.”

Three advisers on Thursday visited the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka to witness the progress of the major infrastructure project.

Civil Aviation Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan inspected the newly built terminal and received a briefing on its development and operational readiness.

The CAAB chairman said this after a long meeting following the inspection.

He said, “Our advisors have inspected the Third Terminal today. After that, we also held a long meeting at the Civil Aviation Headquarters. The meeting discussed the opening of the Third Terminal and the challenges we may face. However, we remain steadfast in our decision – we want to open the Third Terminal by next December. And the concerned have been instructed to complete the remaining work for this as soon as possible.”

Once operational, the terminal is expected to significantly improve Bangladesh’s aviation sector by increasing both passenger and cargo handling capacity.

In January, CAAB reaffirmed plans to inaugurate the terminal by the end of 2025.

The project, launched on December 28, 2019, involves an investment of Tk 21,300 crore, with Tk 5,000 crore from the government and the rest financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Among others, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury joined the session virtually. Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Nasreen Jahan, and CAAB Chairman Air Vice-Marshal Mohammad Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan were present.