Fresh Talks Planned with Japanese Consortium on HSIA T3

Although around 99% of construction is complete, officials said the terminal would still need at least six months to recruit and train staff after any agreement is signed

Feb 23, 2026 - 15:32 Updated: Feb 25, 2026 - 15:06

Fresh Talks Planned with Japanese Consortium on HSIA T3

The photo shows the ground handling work at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on March 15, 2023. Photo: JICA Bangladesh/ Facebook

Bangladesh is set to reopen negotiations with a Japanese consortium in an effort to finalise an agreement on the operation and maintenance of the Third Terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, officials said.

The decision was made at a high-level review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Cabinet Division on Sunday. The meeting reviewed the progress of the long-delayed project and discussed ways to make the terminal operational as soon as possible.

A senior official of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), who attended the meeting, said the authority is likely to hold further talks with the Japanese consortium in what he described as a “last opportunity” to reach a final agreement and begin operations at Terminal-3.

He said the prime minister was briefed on the latest developments in negotiations and the overall preparedness of the terminal, but declined to disclose the specific points of disagreement.

Ministers and senior officials from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism were also present at the meeting.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman presides over a meeting on how to make the third terminal of Dhaka airport operational as soon as possible. Photo: PID

Speaking to reporters, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam said no definite timeline could be given for opening the terminal. “Further discussions and technical assessments are needed to determine how the process can be expedited,” she said, adding that work is continuing under the prime minister’s directives.

The Tk 21,398 crore project was approved in 2017, with construction beginning in December 2019. Of the total cost, Tk 5,000 crore was funded by the government, while the remainder came through loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The terminal had a “soft inauguration” in October 2023 under former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, with full operations initially expected in 2024. That deadline was missed.

According to CAAB sources, delays have largely resulted from unresolved issues over ground handling, operational management and certain technical shortcomings inside the building. Negotiations with the consortium — comprising Japan Airport Terminal Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Sojitz and Narita International Airport Corporation — stalled over revenue-sharing and other contractual terms.

A CAAB official said the government considered the consortium’s revenue-sharing proposal too high, and several rounds of talks last year ended without agreement.

Although around 99% of construction is complete, officials said the terminal would still need at least six months to recruit and train staff after any agreement is signed. The 542,000-square-metre facility is expected to require about 6,000 personnel working in four shifts, including roughly 4,000 security staff. Standard operating procedures are also yet to be finalised.

Business leaders have repeatedly urged the government to bring the terminal into operation quickly, particularly after India suspended third-country transshipment facility last April, creating logistical challenges for Bangladeshi garment exporters.

The Third Terminal is considered vital for boosting the country’s aviation capacity and strengthening its position as a regional transit hub. With the new government signalling fresh engagement, officials say there is renewed hope that a breakthrough in negotiations could finally pave the way for its launch.

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