HSIA third terminal: Japanese consortium to submit revised proposal by late March as talks resume
State Minister Millat mentioned both parties are seeking a solution beneficial for Bangladesh while correcting shortcomings in earlier agreements to ensure a "win-win" outcome for operating the Dhaka airport's third terminal
Bangladesh and Japan today (13 March) resumed high-level negotiations with a Japanese consortium in a fresh bid to operationalise the long-delayed third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka on a win-win basis.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marked the first formal negotiation under the newly formed BNP-led government.
It reflects an urgent push to resolve contractual and operational deadlocks, including embarkation fees, revenue-sharing arrangements, and upfront payment structures, which have kept the nearly completed terminal idle for over a year.
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Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanom Rita described the discussion as constructive.
"We had a good meeting. We are trying to make the third terminal operational as soon as possible as per the instruction of Honourable Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. We hope to reach a win-win deal with Japan to open the new terminal," she told reporters.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat urged the Japanese side to quickly submit a revised proposal addressing Bangladesh's concerns.
He noted that while civil aviation agreements generally involve three categories of charges, differences had emerged over two aspects.
However, last week, Millat had expressed optimism that the third terminal could be operational within six to nine months once an agreement is reached.
Millat mentioned Bangladesh and Japan are seeking a solution beneficial for Bangladesh while correcting shortcomings in earlier agreements to ensure a "win-win" outcome for operating HSIA's third terminal.
The Bangladesh delegation included Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam.
The Japanese side was led by Takahashi Naoki, chargé d'affaires at the Embassy of Japan, and Rieko Nakayama, assistant vice minister of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The Japanese consortium includes Japan Airport Terminal Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Nippon Koei, and Narita International Airport Corporation. Both sides are expected to hold another round of negotiations toward the end of March.
Humayun Kabir emphasised that the government is reviewing the issue with national interest as the top priority.
"The discussions are progressing positively, and we hope to see meaningful progress soon," he said.
The terminal, which is over 99% complete, was soft-launched in October 2023 but has remained commercially inactive.
Officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh attributed the delay to unresolved issues during the previous interim government, when negotiations over terminal management, operational control and revenue-sharing arrangements failed to reach a consensus.
The project, largely financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) at a cost of approximately Tk21,398 crore, is designed to handle an additional 12-16 million passengers annually alongside 9,00,000 tonnes of cargo.
