Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated a portion of the highly anticipated third terminal at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport recently, which is aimed at improving passenger services and expanding air connectivity besides opening a new horizon in handling air shipment of goods, including apparel shipments, as the new facility is expected to improve the capacity of the cargo village.

Prime Minister Hasina during the inauguration of the new terminal reportedly engaged with immigration officers, inspected the pre-boarding security scanning area, and explored the moving walkway, which showcased an illustration of the full operational capacity of the third terminal.

Subsequently, she visited a photo gallery and the boarding area before officially inaugurating the terminal.

The newly constructed terminal is designed to be connected to the elevated expressway, an underground railway system, and the airport railway station through an underground tunnel, according to media reports.

Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, expressed that the third terminal represents a significant milestone in realizing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s vision of making Bangladesh a prominent aviation hub.

He noted that 90 per cent of the construction work for the soft opening has been completed, allowing airlines to use the new parking bay of the terminal.

However, Rahman also mentioned that it may take an additional year for the terminal to become fully operational, as systems integration and calibration processes need to be completed.