Third terminal cannot be opened during interim govt: Bashir
The decision on its opening will rest with the next government, he says
The third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) cannot be inaugurated during the tenure of the interim government, Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said today (5 January).
Speaking at a press conference at the secretariat, the adviser said, "We will not be able to open it during this government's term. We have made every possible effort. I personally met with the Japanese vice minister, held negotiations, and tried to push it forward, but our efforts were ultimately unsuccessful."
He added, "At present, we are focused on completing the necessary procedural requirements for its further development. The decision on its opening will rest with the next government."
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Negotiations between the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) and the Japanese consortium selected to operate Dhaka airport's Tk21,000 crore third terminal have collapsed, with multiple rounds of talks failing to resolve key differences.
Sources directly involved in the process told The Business Standard that the latest two-day negotiation on 24–25 November ended without progress, as disputes over revenue sharing and the income-expenditure model remain unresolved.
According to consortium representatives, CAAB is reluctant to share revenue from major income streams and is instead insisting on an "India-style income-expenditure model" that the consortium considers incompatible with its international-standard proposal.
The terminal, which was soft-launched in October 2023, was originally slated for full operation by December 2024. Delays in equipment imports, frequent leadership changes, and political transitions have already pushed that deadline to December 2025, and CAAB has now stated that it cannot commit to any firm opening date.
