Bangladesh, Japan restart HSIA terminal 3 talks

The government has reopened negotiations with a Japanese consortium today in a renewed effort to operationalise the long-delayed Third Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), aviation officials said, reports BSS.

The meeting, being held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka, marks the first formal round of negotiations between Bangladesh and the Japanese partners under the current BNP-led government, signalling a fresh push to resolve long-standing contractual and operational issues that have kept the nearly completed terminal from fully opening.

According to officials, the Bangladesh side is represented by Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam.

A senior official of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said the meeting aims to revive discussions with the Japanese consortium on the management, operational control and revenue-sharing structure of the terminal.

“We are restarting negotiations with the goal of making the terminal fully operational as soon as possible,” the official said, adding that the government is optimistic about a positive outcome given the strong political commitment to resolve the issue.

Officials said earlier delays in launching the terminal were largely due to unresolved negotiations during the previous interim administration, when discussions over operational management arrangements failed to reach a final agreement.

The Japanese consortium involved in the project includes Japan Airport Terminal Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Sojitz Corporation and Narita International Airport Corporation. The project has been largely financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Sources said the outcome of today’s meeting is expected to be placed before Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for further policy direction.

Approved in 2017 and launched in 2019 with an estimated cost of about Tk21,398 crore, the HSIA Third Terminal is now more than 99 percent complete. However, it has yet to begin full commercial operations despite a soft inauguration in October 2023.

The new terminal, covering around 542,000 square metres, is designed to handle an additional 12 to 16 million passengers annually and nearly 900,000 tonnes of cargo, significantly expanding the capacity of Dhaka airport.

Industry stakeholders say the renewed negotiations represent a crucial step toward ending years of delays and unlocking the terminal’s potential to strengthen Bangladesh’s position as a regional aviation hub in South and Southeast Asia.