Japan envoy calls on aviation minister amid push to open Dhaka Airport’s Third Terminal
Dhaka: Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi today met Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam at the ministry in Dhaka, where they discussed bilateral cooperation, particularly in the aviation sector.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat was also present at the meeting, according to a ministry press release.
The meeting takes place against the backdrop of renewed government efforts to operationalize the long-awaited Third Terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
On February 22, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed the authorities concerned to expedite the terminal’s full-scale launch to enhance passenger capacity and improve overall efficiency at the country’s main international gateway. The instruction came during a meeting at the Cabinet Conference Room of the Secretariat chaired by the prime minister.
The Tk21,000-crore terminal, built with funding support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, was soft-opened in October 2023. Despite the completion of construction more than a year ago, the facility has yet to begin full commercial operations.
Talks between Bangladesh and Japan over revenue-sharing and operational modalities broke down in November 2025 due to differences over financial terms. Following the prime minister’s recent directive, officials expect negotiations with the Japanese side to resume soon to finalize outstanding issues.
Once fully operational, the Third Terminal is expected to reduce congestion, expand passenger and cargo handling capacity, and further deepen aviation cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan.
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