Over 77pc construction work complete

Over 77 per cent of the construction work on the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka has been completed, and it is expected to be operational next year.

Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Mafidur Rahman said this at a press conference at the under-construction terminal on Tuesday, reports UNB.

He said construction of the third terminal is currently at its final stages.

"Our goal is to achieve 90 per cent completion of the project before October, and we are optimistic that the work will be complete ahead of schedule. Currently, 77.5 per cent of the project has been completed," he said.

The government has given high priority to the completion of this project and decided to partially open the newly constructed terminal, he added.

The soft opening of the new terminal is scheduled for October, with plans to make it fully operational by 2024.

"To ensure timely progress, construction work is being carried out day and night -- even during the ongoing Eid holidays. We hope to hold the soft opening in the first week of October as per the government decision," said the CAAB chairman.

Samsung Construction and Trading (C&T) Corporation, a construction unit of the Samsung Group, is overseeing the third terminal's construction project.

"The company has an impressive portfolio, having constructed iconic buildings such as Burj Khalifa, Petronas Twin Towers, Taipei 101, Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 4, South Korea's Incheon International Airport, and Abu Dhabi's Cleveland Clinic," said Air Vice Marshal Mafidur Rahman.

The terminal's interior has been designed by renowned architect Rohani Baharin, who has previously worked on projects including Terminal 3 of Changi Airport in Singapore, the ATC Tower Building in Guangzhou, China, Ahmedabad International Airport in India, and the Terminal Building of Islamabad International Airport.

The Dhaka Airport expansion project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on October 24, 2017, with financing from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Initially estimated at Tk 136.10 billion, the budget for the extensive third terminal project was subsequently increased by an additional Tk 77.88 billion.

Upon its completion, the new terminal, spanning an area of 5,42,000 square metres, will feature a parking apron capable of accommodating 37 aircraft. However, the main highlight will be the modern terminal building, integrating state-of-the-art technologies within its 2,30,000 square metres of interior space.