PM Tarique orders steps to operationalise Dhaka airport’s long-awaited third terminal

A specific opening date cannot be given at this moment, says the minister

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has ordered the launch of the third terminal at Shahjalal International Airport.

He issued the directive on Sunday during a review meeting held at the Secretariat.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam said the PM was trying to open the third terminal as soon as possible.

“We cannot say when it will open. We are currently in the stage of discussions and reviews to find the quickest path forward, but a definite date remains unavailable,” she said.

The third terminal project was initiated in 2017 with an estimated cost of Tk 213.98 billion, and construction began on Dec 28, 2019.

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina held a “soft opening” of the facility on Oct 7, 2023, announcing that the terminal would come into full operation by 2024.

The subsequent interim government failed to make the terminal operational despite multiple attempts, citing unresolved decisions over ground handling and operations, as well as technical glitches within the terminal building.