3rd Terminal Soft Opening on December 16?

Newly appointed Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, M Rashiduzzaman Millat, MP, officially assumed office at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Upon his arrival, ministry officials and staff welcomed him with floral bouquets. Following his arrival, the Minister led an exchange-of-views meeting with senior officials from the ministry and its subordinate departments.

In his address, Minister Millat expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for placing trust in his leadership. "We aim to drive forward ministry operations by building a cohesive team," he stated. To eliminate inter-agency coordination gaps, the Minister announced plans to work directly from the Civil Aviation Authority or Biman Bangladesh Airlines head office once every five working days. He urged civil servants to move beyond conventional bureaucracy and warned that performance would be strictly evaluated with rewards and penalties.

Addressing reporters, the Minister highlighted key infrastructure timelines, confirming that plans are underway for a soft opening of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's 3rd Terminal on December 16. Steps are being finalized to sign the operational contract with a Japanese consortium this September. He also reiterated the goal to launch direct Dhaka-New York flights next year and add 10 leased aircraft to Biman's fleet shortly.

On regional connectivity, he revealed plans to reactivate Ishwardi Airport to facilitate the transport of materials for the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant. Furthermore, a feasibility study for Bogura Airport is currently in progress, Cox's Bazar International Airport is expected to become fully operational by October, and discussions are ongoing with US-Bangla Airlines to restore flight frequency at Jashore Airport.
//DBTech/TIP/MIS//