Third terminal needs Tk902cr more to open

The government needs an additional Tk902 crore to make the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport operational, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat told Parliament on Sunday.

The funds will be used to complete unfinished work, settle outstanding payments to contractors and clear dues owed to other agencies.

The minister said the terminal, an estimated $2.1 billion state asset, risks remaining unused unless the additional allocation is approved. He added that project costs had risen from Tk13,000 crore to Tk21,300 crore over several phases.

According to the minister, only 57% of the Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) work has been completed. The government and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh are working to finish the remaining tasks.

The minister said the terminal would double the airport’s current passenger-handling capacity and generate revenue to help repay loans taken from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).