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More than 44 per cent of construction works of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's (HSIA) third terminal have been completed so far.
The aviation facility will be inaugurated in October next year, State Minister for Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism (MoCAT) Md. Mahbub Ali said on Monday.
"Progress of the construction works has outpaced our expectations. The HSIA third terminal is likely to be inaugurated in October 2023."
He came up with the hope at a press conference following his visit to the construction site, a statement said.
Once the third terminal is completed, the HSIA will be able to serve 22 million passengers every year with its all three terminals, said the state minister.
"The government is ensuring the standard of the third terminal's construction works, and there has been no compromise. The project is accepting only the standard construction materials - as mentioned in the tender."
Meanwhile, the quality of services, currently provided at the HSIA, has enhanced significantly due to various initiatives taken by the government, he noted.
"We remain vigilant, so that no passenger faces harassments in the airport. At present, luggage delivery takes much lower time than before, as we have increased monitoring."
Responding to a query, Mr. Mahbub Ali said the government is considering to float international tender for appointing a global operator for ground handling of the third terminal.
MoCAT Secretary Mokammel Hossain, Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, and Executive Director of HSIA Group Captain Muhammed Kamrul Islam were present in the programme, among others.