September 26, 2025
DHAKA – Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin today said he is not sure when the third terminal of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will be opened.
While speaking at a press conference at his ministry at the Secretariat, he said, “An agreement needs to be signed with an operator to manage the third terminal, and they will need a few months to prepare.”
The press conference was organised on the occasion of World Tourism Day, on September 27.
Asked about the progress in the agreement with a Japanese consortium regarding the third terminal, Secretary to the Civil Aviation Ministry Nasrin Jahan said, “Negotiations with them have not yet been finished.”
Almost 99 percent of the work for the third terminal has already been completed, according to project officials.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and the civil aviation ministry on various occasions announced that passengers will be able to use the third terminal from December this year.
The ousted Awami League government had decided in principle to operate and maintain the third terminal by a Japanese consortium under a public-private partnership.
But the interim government decided that Biman will operate ground-handling service primarily for two years.
The launch of third terminal faces delay, as CAAB is still negotiating an operation and maintenance agreement — a prerequisite for starting services — with the Japanese consortium.
The state-of-the-art terminal was partially opened by ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on October 7, 2023.
The government contributed Tk 5,000 crore towards the cost of the third terminal, with the rest of the amount coming from the Japan International Cooperation Agency in the form of loans.
The third terminal boasts a floor space of 230,000 square metres, housing 115 check-in counters, 66 departure immigration desks, 59 arrival immigration and three VIP immigration desks.
Meanwhile, Sk Bashir today also dismissed concerns of a conflict of interest over his recent appointment as chairman of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, despite also serving as the civil aviation ministry’s adviser.
He said he holds chairmanship positions in multiple institutions under different ministries where he also serves as the adviser.
“If those do not create a conflict of interest, why should it be any different for Biman?” he asked.
Bashir, also the commerce adviser, said that Biman’s board includes the chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) along with heads of various other state agencies. “If they can be on the board, why can’t an adviser?”
“Instead of attempting to demean me, investigate how ordinary people are being held hostage to Biman’s mismanagement,” the adviser said.