Stakeholders allege corruption in Dhaka airport’s third terminal

Aviation operators and other stakeholders have raised allegations of corruption in the construction of the third terminal at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, calling for a thorough investigation.

The claims were made during a roundtable discussion titled "Third Terminal: Opportunities and Challenges," organised by the Aviation and Tourism Journalists' Forum (ATJFB) today (2 December).

Speaking at the programme, Group Captain (retd) Mofizur Rahman, secretary general of the Aviation Operators Association of Bangladesh (AOAB), raised concerns about the sharp increase in costs for the third terminal project. 

"Initially, the estimated cost of the third terminal project with a parallel runway was Tk7,000 crore. How can it balloon to Tk22,000 crore in just a few years, and that too without the runway?" he asked.  

Now, the cost of the terminal is projected to reach Tk25,000 crore, he added. 

"The cost for Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport's second terminal, which started around the same time and became operational in 2022, was just ₹5,000 crore (around Tk7,000 crore) with no cost escalation even though it is 23% larger," Mofizur said.

"Not only that, the airport is renowned for its 'Terminal in a Garden' design and has been recognised as the most beautiful airport by Unesco," he added.

Mofizur, who is also the managing director of Novo Air, said, "On the other hand, while our third terminal may seem aesthetically pleasing on the surface, it is plagued by the use of substandard materials throughout, which is evident everywhere."

He further expressed concern over the inclusion of critical equipment from obscure and unbranded sources, warning that this could lead to long-term durability issues.

He emphasised that it would be unrealistic to assume that no corruption occurred in the third terminal project, drawing a parallel to the scandal involving the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

"The main contractor for this project is the joint venture ADC, comprising Japan's Nippon Koei and Korea's Samsung. The irregularities did not stem from their end; all procurement was managed by the Bangladeshi bureaucracy, which is notorious for political interference, especially from the parliamentary committee on civil aviation," he said.

He further pointed out that the previous government had inaugurated the third terminal long before its completion, primarily for political gain and electoral advantage.

Mofizur also expressed dissatisfaction that the White Paper on the state of the economy failed to address the corruption in the aviation sector.

Talking to reporters at the event, Ministry of Civil Aviation Adviser AF Hasan Ariff, who was present as the chief guest, said, "So far, Tk23,000 crore has been spent on the construction of the third terminal. I saw in a keynote paper that such an amount of expenditure would not have been possible without corruption. We will certainly look into this issue."

"Reform is a recurring theme across various sectors. The Anti-Corruption Commission has already taken steps for reform. All matters that have occurred during the previous government's regime will be reviewed, and the aviation sector will also be scrutinised," he said.

He also confirmed that the full operation of the third terminal would begin in one year.

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan, who was present as the special guest, also assured that the allegations of corruption related to the third terminal at Dhaka Airport would be investigated by the appropriate authorities, such as the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Airline operators oppose Biman's ground handling

At the same event, representatives from local and international airlines voiced their opposition to Biman Bangladesh Airlines' monopoly on ground handling services, citing poor service standards.

They urged the authorities to select an additional ground handler to promote competition, as the government recently nominated Biman to handle these services for the next two years.

Currently, Biman provides ground handling services at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of Dhaka Airport.

Delara Hossain, chairperson of the Airlines Operators Committee (AOC) of Dhaka, said, "The complaints about Dhaka airport that I heard 30-40 years ago are still the same. Foreign airlines are increasingly operating here, but the quality of ground handling services has not improved."

Regarding the issue, Adviser Hasan Ariff said, "We will assess Biman's capability in ground handling. It is not that we will just sit idle for two years. If there is a shortcoming in their capacity, we will make alternative arrangements."

Among others, Kazi Wahidul Alam, editor of Bangladesh Monitor, spoke at the event while Tanzim Anwar, president of ATJFB, was the moderator.