HSIA third terminal soft opening set for 16 Dec: New minister

The government is working to hold the soft opening of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s (HSIA) Third Terminal on 16 December, newly appointed Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said on Sunday.
Speaking to journalists at his office at Bangladesh Secretariat on his first day in office, the minister said the government was taking steps to sign an agreement with a Japanese company in September for the Third Terminal and was working to make the facility operational.
Resuming Dhaka-New York flights, expanding Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ fleet and advancing airport development projects are among the government’s priorities for the aviation sector, he said.
Millat said the government was working to resume Dhaka-New York flights next year and expressed hope that 10 leased aircraft could soon be added to Biman’s fleet.
Regarding Ishwardi Airport, he said the government was considering resuming flights to facilitate the transportation of radioactive materials for the nuclear power plant in Pabna.
At Jashore Airport, Millat said he had spoken with US-Bangla Airlines about resuming or increasing flights following a decline in commercial operations. A feasibility study is also underway for Bogura Airport, while the government hopes to commission Cox’s Bazar International Airport in October, he said.
Earlier in the day, Millat formally joined the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and was received by ministry officials and employees. He later held an exchange-of-views meeting with officials of the ministry and its departments and agencies.
The minister said his immediate priority was to address coordination gaps between the ministry and its departments and build an effective team to accelerate development in aviation and tourism.
He said he intended to work from either the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) or Biman Bangladesh Airlines office one day every five working days to improve efficiency and coordination.
Millat also said good performance would be rewarded while poor performance would have consequences, urging officials to move beyond conventional bureaucracy and adopt more dynamic and innovative approaches to accelerate development in the aviation and tourism sectors.