Dhaka airport 3rd terminal operation deal with Japanese consortium by 19 July: State minister

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat today (4 June) said the long-awaited agreement between a Japanese consortium and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) for the operation and maintenance of the Third Terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) is expected to be signed by 19 July,

Speaking to reporters at a briefing on ministry affairs at the Secretariat, he said, "We will try to complete the deal even earlier. We hope the third terminal will become operational by 16 December this year."

He said the Japanese consortium would also appoint a second ground handler for the terminal.

The third terminal has remained idle for nearly one and a half years due to disagreements between CAAB and the consortium over management and revenue-sharing arrangements.

The consortium comprises Japan Airport Terminal Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Nippon Koei and Narita International Airport Corporation.

A two-day bilateral meeting between CAAB and the consortium began yesterday (3 June) and is scheduled to conclude today.

Earlier, Bangladesh and Japan held talks on 3 April regarding the terminal's operation and maintenance, but the discussions ended without a final agreement.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the latest round of talks focused on a revised proposal submitted by the Japanese side, including issues related to embarkation fees, upfront payments and revenue-sharing mechanisms.

Industry insiders have attributed the prolonged delay in launching the terminal to policy indecision, leaving a major national infrastructure asset unused despite its completion.

Following his assumption of office, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed authorities to resume negotiations with Japan, paving the way for renewed discussions, including a meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 13 March.

Spanning 5,42,000 square metres, the third terminal is expected to significantly enhance the airport's capacity, enabling it to handle an additional 12 to 16 million passengers annually and nearly 5,00,000 tonnes of cargo.