National
Dhaka Airport’s Third Terminal Full Completion by April 5th
The construction of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal is scheduled for full completion by April 5, with operations expected to commence fully by October. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) will assume control of the terminal once construction concludes, initiating the transition from old terminals to the new one through the Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) project.
Project Director AKM Maksudul Islam informed UNB that almost all construction, including civil engineering tasks, is nearing completion, with any remaining work anticipated to conclude in the first week of April. This ensures a smooth handover to CAAB by April 6. Islam mentioned preparations are underway for the full operational launch in October, including system integration and calibration tasks that have successfully undergone multiple evaluations.
CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman stated that the third terminal is nearly ready for flight operations and is expected to be fully functional by October. He emphasized that the completion of this terminal will significantly enhance Dhaka airport’s capacity, facilitating the growth of domestic and international airline operations, improving passenger amenities, increasing revenue, and enhancing overall efficiency.
Rahman highlighted the Prime Minister’s directive to expedite the project, noting that the work has been completed ahead of schedule, within the allocated budget, and without compromising quality. The third terminal, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, aims to provide superior service quality for passengers, accommodating an increase in both domestic and international travelers to boost revenue.
The expansion of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, including the third terminal construction, was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in October 2017, with the first revised development project proposal approved in December 2019 for BDT 21,399 crore. The construction contract was awarded to the Aviation Dhaka Consortium, including Japan’s Mitsubishi and Fujita, and South Korea’s Samsung, based on a design by architect Rohani Baharin.
Prime Minister Sheik Hasina’s soft opening of the third terminal on October 7, 2023, marked a significant milestone. Once fully completed, the new terminal will more than double Dhaka airport’s capacity and increase annual passenger throughput from 8 million to 20 million, transforming it into a bustling hub and boosting revenue.
Presently, Shahjalal International Airport operates with two terminals covering over 100,000 square meters. The addition of the third terminal will introduce an extra 230,000 square meters of space, featuring 115 check-in counters, 64 departure and 64 arrival immigration desks, enhanced security measures, including 27 baggage scanning machines, 40 scanning machines, 12 boarding bridges, 16 carousels, and 11 body scanners.
The third terminal will enable parking for 37 aircraft simultaneously and includes two high-speed taxiways to reduce runway wait times, buildings for cargo import and export, and a three-storey parking structure for 1,350 vehicles. Initially, 12 out of 26 boarding bridges will be operational, with 115 check-in counters, including 15 self-service counters and 10 automated passport control counters.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines and other domestic airlines plan to increase flight operations with the inauguration of the third terminal. Foreign airlines have also shown interest in expanding their services. The third terminal will be connected to the metro rail and the Dhaka Elevated Expressway, providing seamless access for passengers and enhancing the Dhaka airport’s capacity to serve as a regional aviation hub.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
