State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat today spoke at a press briefing at the Secretariat. Photo : PID

DHAKA, June 4, 2026 (BSS) – The agreement between the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and a Japanese consortium for operating the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) is expected to be signed by July 19, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat said here today.

“As per the deadline, the agreement will be signed by July 19. We will try to complete the deal even earlier. We hope the third terminal will become operational by December 16 this year,” he told reporters at a press briefing at Bangladesh Secretariat here.

The state minister said the Japanese consortium would also appoint the second ground handler for the terminal.

The third terminal has remained non-operational for nearly one and a half years due to disagreements over management and revenue-sharing arrangements between CAAB and the Japanese consortium.

The consortium comprises Japan Airport Terminal Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Nippon Koei and Narita International Airport Corporation.

A two-day negotiation meeting between CAAB and the consortium began on Wednesday and concluded today to finalize issues related to the operation and maintenance of the terminal.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, discussions focused on a revised proposal submitted by the Japanese side, with key issues including embarkation fees, upfront payments and revenue-sharing arrangements.

Earlier, Bangladesh and Japan held a bilateral meeting on April 3 to discuss the terminal’s operation and maintenance, though no final agreement was reached at that time.

Industry insiders have attributed the delay in launching the terminal to prolonged policy indecision by the past interim government, leaving a major national infrastructure asset unused despite completion of construction.

Following assumption of office, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed the authorities to resume negotiations with the Japanese side, paving the way for renewed discussions, including a meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 13.

The third terminal, spanning 542,000 square metres, is designed to handle an additional 12 to 16 million passengers annually and nearly 500,000 tonnes of cargo, significantly boosting the airport’s capacity.