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Dhaka Airport Third Terminal

Construction work to begin soon


Published : 14 Sep 2019 09:13 PM | Updated : 05 Sep 2020 10:18 PM

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism is set to start the construction work of third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). According to sources at Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB), the project is now going through evaluation process, then it will be sent to JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and for approval of the purchase committee.

After purchase committee’s approval, the construction work will be awarded to the eligible construction company. The construction work of the third terminal will be completed in four years, sources said. “In the third terminal, there will be 12 boarding bridges, elevated road, multilevel car parking, 23 parking bays, cargo complex and three taxiways. With the implementation of the third terminal, HISA will be able to handle 1.2 crore passengers yearly, and it will take three and a half year to complete the construction work,” Md Mohibul Haque, Secretray of Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, told Bangladesh Post earlier.

CAAB chief engineer Sudhendu Bikash Goswami said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the construction work of the third terminal.
The construction work of the new terminal will be completed with an estimated cost of Tk 13,610.46 crore under the financial assistance of JICA. CAAB sources said the expansion includes construction of the third passenger terminal building known as Terminal 3, as well as a 5,900 square meter VVIP complex, 41,200 square meter cargo complex and multi-level car parking building with tunnel.

The new international passenger terminal building will have a floor area of roughly 2,26,000 square metres. Additionally, the project includes construction of several exit and connecting taxiways, a parking apron in Terminal 3, new roads to connect the terminal with the airport road and a drainage system. Various water treatment, power supply, rescue and fire-fighting facilities will also be constructed as part of the master plan.

For the construction, CAAB invited international tender on September 20 last year. But later the deadline to submit the tender was extended for another month. Of the total cost, Tk 570 crore will be spent on consultancy services. Sources said around 12 passenger boarding bridges out of 24 will be constructed on the first phase. There will be 13 check-in belts. To maintain huge pressure and traffic, the connecting road with the terminal will also get new design.

Project Director AKM Maksudul Islam said, “We are hopeful about starting the construction work by September this year.” There will be a rapid exit and connecting taxiway and main road beside Le Meridian hotel to enter the airport. Besides, a subway will be built to connect the Dhaka Elevated Expressway with the airport. It is to be noted that the project was approved by ECNEC in October, 2017.

Earlier in 2015, the feasibility study report on third terminal was presented to Prime Minister’s Office. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered to implement the project as soon as possible. Shahjalal Airport can handle 0.8 million passengers and 0.2 million tonnes of cargo annually. The airport expansion project has been undertaken in accordance with the changing needs of the time. Once the project work is finished, the airport will be able to handle 2.0 million passengers while its cargo handling capacity will rise to 0.5 million tonnes.

It is to be noted, feasibility study of the project began following Japanese Ambassador Masato Watababe’s meeting with the then Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon at the latter’s office in the capital on February 2, 2016. At the beginning, when the government sought fund for the project from different international donor agencies, no party showed interest. Later following the concerned ministry’s initiative for Government to Government agreements, China came forward to assist the project.