Bangladesh’s government has asked for Tk 902 crore to complete the remaining work needed to bring Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal into full operation, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat told Parliament on Sunday. The announcement is the latest chapter in a saga that has stretched on for years, long after the terminal’s soft opening was celebrated as a milestone.
Responding to a question from an NCP lawmaker, Millat said the previous government had presented the terminal as complete, but several essential components remained unfinished when the current administration took stock, including the integration of machinery and related Airport Development and Construction works.
How the Costs Kept Climbing
The third terminal was never a cheap undertaking. The project was originally estimated at around Tk 13,000 crore before a series of revisions pushed the cost to roughly Tk 21,600 crore. Millat said the government found that although the building itself had been inaugurated, the integrated facilities needed to actually run it had not been finished.
The newly requested Tk 902 crore, he said, was calculated transparently to cover outstanding dues and the specific work still required to make the terminal operational. The government has approached the Planning Ministry for approval, and the Finance Ministry is working on arranging the allocation.
A Familiar Pattern of Delays
This is not the first missed milestone for the third terminal. It was soft-launched with fanfare in October 2023, with full operations originally expected by December 2024. That deadline slipped, then slipped again to December 2025, even as officials confirmed the building itself was more than 99 per cent complete.
The holdup has repeatedly come down to who runs the terminal and how, with negotiations between Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation Authority and the Japanese consortium behind the project’s revenue and expenditure model dragging on for months without resolution.
There has been movement more recently. Authorities have reportedly completed their evaluation of a Japanese company’s proposal to operate the facility, with negotiations expected to begin in September and a limited soft opening tentatively targeted for mid-December.
Why It Matters for Dhaka’s Aviation Capacity
Once operational, the third terminal is expected to add significant passenger-handling capacity to an airport that has long been stretched thin, roughly doubling annual capacity when combined with the two existing terminals. For a country whose air travel demand keeps climbing, every additional year of delay means continued strain on facilities never designed to carry today’s passenger volumes.
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Will This Be the Year It Finally Opens?
With warranties on some imported equipment already expired or nearing expiry, officials have their own incentive to move quickly and avoid further financial losses. The Tk 902 crore request suggests the government believes the finish line is close, but Dhaka’s third terminal has cleared “final” hurdles before only to face new ones. Whether this latest funding request is truly the last piece of the puzzle will depend on how quickly Parliament, the Finance Ministry, and the operator negotiations actually move.
FAQ
Why does HSIA’s third terminal need more money if it was already built?
The government says the terminal building was inaugurated as complete, but essential integrated systems and machinery were left unfinished, and Tk 902 crore is needed to cover outstanding dues and finish that work.
How much has the third terminal cost so far?
The project’s cost rose from an original estimate of around Tk 13,000 crore to roughly Tk 21,600 crore.
When might the third terminal actually open?
No firm date has been confirmed, though recent progress on operator negotiations has pointed toward a possible limited soft opening around mid-December.
Summary: Bangladesh’s government says it needs Tk 902 crore more to make Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal fully operational, despite the building having been declared complete years ago.
