Ninety-seven percent work of the 3rd terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has been completed, said Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan on Thursday.
“I am satisfied at the progress of the work. 97% work has been finished while the remaining three percent including co-ordination and testing remained incomplete ,” he said while visiting the terminal.
Replying to a question about the opening date of the terminal, the minister said it is highly technical work and it is impossible to implement it within the fixed time. “However, I am hopeful about the timely launch of the terminal.”
Talking about the facilities of the terminal, Faruk said there are 54 immigration counters and people are expected to get desired services there.
Faruk Khan said the newly built third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) will be fully operational by the end of this year.
“I am satisfied with the progress… It is likely to be fully operational by the end of this year or early next year,” he told reporters at a briefing after visiting the new state-of-the art terminal in the capital.
The minister said the work on the new terminal is progressing within the stipulated time frame, despite the tough time caused due to the pandemic and global economic downturn.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the soft launch of the third terminal on October 7 last year. The project, involving Tk 21,300 crore, commenced on December 28, 2019.
Replying to a question, the minister said construction of a dependable second runway for HSIA is under consideration to ensure the optimum use of the new terminal.
About the ground handling of the HSIA, Khan said Biman Bangladesh Airlines, which has been enjoying the monopoly on that, will manage the ground operation under a joint venture with a reputed global service provider chosen by the Japanese consortium.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice Marshal Mafidur Rahman and Biman’s Managing Director and CEO Sazzad were also present.
The CAAB chairman said the new terminal will be fully ready for use in October as system integration, calibration, and testing of equipment are done.
