Extra Tk 902 crore needed to operationalize third terminal, says Aviation Minister
Photo: BSS
The Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat told Parliament that an additional Tk 902 crore is required to make the Third Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport fully operational.
During the question-and-answer session in the National Parliament on Sunday, Hannan Masud, an opposition Member of Parliament from the Noakhali-6 constituency, raised concerns regarding the cost escalation of the Third Terminal in a supplementary question.
He said that the estimated cost of the international terminal had escalated in several phases from Tk 13,000 crore to Tk 21,300 crore. Furthermore, an investigation by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) identified irregularities amounting to approximately Tk 4,469 crore and recommended recovering compensation from the contractor. In this context, he questioned whether the decision to increase the budget by another Tk 902 crore—when 99.91 percent of the work is already complete—amounts to giving the contractor an opportunity for corruption.
In response, the Aviation Minister explained that under the previous government, there was a tendency to showcase projects as complete simply by inaugurating the buildings. However, in reality, crucial components of the Third Terminal, including machinery, required signaling systems, and various key integrations, were left unfinished.
Millat further noted that state assets worth approximately $2.1 billion were on the verge of deteriorating unused. On one hand, the government was unable to utilize the terminal, and on the other, repayment of large loan installments to the development partner JICA had commenced, even though no revenue was being generated due to the inactive infrastructure.
However, after assuming office, the current government reviewed the overall accounts and determined that Tk 902 crore is necessary to finalize the terminal's work, settle outstanding dues with the contractor, pay other agencies, and render the infrastructure operational. He assured that this allocation was requested with complete transparency.
The Aviation Minister added that without approving the additional funds, the massive terminal would remain non-functional. Once the allocation is approved, the terminal can be operationalized swiftly. This will expand capacity to serve double the current 1.2 million passengers, and the revenue generated will make it possible to repay the JICA loan.
