BSS-20 PM opens HSIA’s 3rd terminal construction tomorrow

382

ZCZC

BSS-20

PM-HSIA-TERMINAL

PM opens HSIA’s 3rd terminal construction tomorrow

DHAKA, Dec 27, 2019 (BSS) – All is set to witness a landmark episode in the country’s aviation history tomorrow as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the construction work of Taka 21,300 crore ‘Third Terminal’ of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in the capital.

“We have taken all out preparations to hold the groundbreaking ceremony …. Honorable Prime Minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the work at 10.30 am tomorrow,” State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali told newsmen at a press briefing at HSIA today.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is also scheduled to inaugurate Biman’s two new dreamliners aircraft Boeing 787-9 named ‘Sonar Tori’ and Achin Pakhi’ as well as a new mobile apps of the national flag carrier on the sidelines of the ceremony.

The state minister said the HSIA will be one of the best airports in the region after the construction of its third terminal.

“After the construction of the third terminal, the HSIA will be the most modern airport in the region… 12 million additional passengers will be benefited annually after the construction of this terminal,” Mahbub said.

The third terminal will be built at a cost of Taka 21,300 crore of which the government will provide Taka 5,000 crore and the rest to be funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Mitsubishi and Fujita of Japan and Samsung of Korea were awarded to construct the 3rd terminal under a consortium, Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) official sources said.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md Mohibul Haque and Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mofidur Rahman also spoke at the press briefing.

Haque said all operational works of the new terminal will be possible to monitor centrally from a single control room.

The senior secretary said the government will float an open tender to select an efficient company for ‘ground handling’ task of the new terminal.

The project with an estimated cost of Tk 13,610.47 crore got the nod of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on October 24, 2017.

However, the cost of the project enhanced subsequently due to expansion of some of the project works, including setting up of a separate cargo house, official sources said.

“The cost increased as we amplified volume of work that includes separation of export and import cargo houses and construction of new VVIP terminal,” Haque told BSS on Thursday.

The secretary said additional work as well as the extra cost were planed and calculated as per consultation of JICA’s fact finding mission along with CAAB’s Japan based consultant firm- the Nippon Koi.

“The project’s additional fund was approved by the ECNEC on December 10 last”, Haque said.

The new international passenger terminal building is set to have a floor area of roughly 22.5 lakh square feet whereas the exiting two terminals of the HSIA have space of around 10 lakh square feet together.

The HSIA’s expansion is set to increase the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity from the current eight millions to approximately 20 millions, and the cargo capacity from 200,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes.

BSS/ASG/TA/KU/1908 HRS