3rd terminal cost to increase by Tk 3000cr

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport

Mahfuja Mukul: Thecost of Third Terminal (Terminal-3) mega project of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka has increased by Tk 3,000 crore. It is being built on the model of Singapore’s Changi Airport. More than 51 percent of the project has been completed. It is expected that the new terminal will be inaugurated in October 2023. But at this time, the cost of the project is increasing again. Although the exact amount is not known, it is said that the proposed expenditure may increase by around Tk 3,000 crore.
Those concerned say that the scope of work of the project is increasing. This is the main reason why the cost is increasing. Initially it was decided to build 12 boarding bridges. That number will now increase to 26. Besides, the scope of some other works is increasing. Due to these reasons the cost is increasing.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) sources said that Shahjalal’s third terminal construction project was approved by ECNEC on October 24, 2017. At that time the expenditure was estimated at Tk 13,610 crore. Later, the size of the project was increased by another Tk 7,788.59 crore to about Tk 21,398 crore. If a new increase of Tk 3,000 crore is made, the cost of the project will be more than Tk 24,000 crore. Construction of the project began in December 2019.
Most of this cost is coming from the Japanese aid agency JICA. The company is giving Tk 16,141 crore as loan. The remaining Tk 5,258.38 crore is given by the government of Bangladesh.
According to CAAB, the increase in project cost is not a decision of CAAB alone. Along with this, the views of concerned parties such as CAAB, Physical Infrastructure Department of Planning Commission, Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Department (IMED), Development Associates, Economic Relations Department (ERD), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Finance Department will be taken. After that, the cost of the project will be increased.
CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mofidur Rahman told that the scope of work in the project is increasing. Due to these reasons, the cost should be increased. For example, 12 boarding bridges were supposed to be built, but now they have increased to 26. Similarly scope of other work is also increasing. The cost of the project will increase. However, how much will increase has not been finalized yet. Because cost increase is not our decision alone. The cost will increase with the decision of the concerned parties including JICA. The project has saved money in some sectors.
Because cost increase is not our decision alone. The cost will increase with the decision of the concerned parties including JICA. The project has saved money in some sectors. So, we will have our eye on increasing as little as possible.
However, on August 9, 2020, in response to a question from reporters while visiting the construction work, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry said. Mahbub Ali said that no change is being made in the existing design of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Bore piling is being used instead of screwed piling due to the soil conditions at the construction site. This is purely a technical matter.
Due to this, the project cost will not increase in any way, but the total project cost will save Tk 750 crore. With this saved money, there are plans to construct 14 more boarding bridges and a VVIP terminal complex in addition to the 12 boarding bridges to be constructed at the third terminal, subject to the approval of the government and JICA and settlement of other regulatory processes.
Shahjalal currently has two terminals. The area of these two terminals is one lakh square meters. The third terminal, which is coming up, is more than twice the size of the existing two terminals. Its area will be two lakh 30 thousand square meters. Its construction started in December 2019. As per the project approval decision, the project is scheduled to be completed by April 2024. Japan’s Mitsubishi and Fujita and Korea’s Samsung – these three companies are constructing the third terminal through Dhaka Consortium.
Scope of work
The third terminal will have a total of 37 apron parking spaces. As a result, 37 aircraft can be parked together. Shahjalal Airport currently has four taxiways. Two more high speed taxiways are being added. Two new taxiways are being constructed so that aircraft do not have to stay longer on the runway. Besides, two buildings are being constructed for import and export of goods. There will also be a three-storey building for car parking.
According to CAAB, the third terminal will have 26 boarding bridges. 12 will be launched in the first phase. There will be 36 parking bays for aircraft. There will be a total of 115 check-in counters including 15 self-service check-in counters for departures. Besides, there will be 66 departure immigration counters with 10 automatic passport control counters.
There will be a total of 59 passport and 19 check-in arrival counters including five automated check-in counters on arrival. Apart from this, 16 arrival baggage belts will be installed in the terminal. A multilevel car parking building will be constructed along with the third terminal for car parking. There will be provision for 1 thousand 350 car parking.
Meanwhile, a loop of the expressway in the Kawla area adjacent to the airport has come down to the under-construction third terminal. Excavation work is also going on in the first gate area of the terminal. A tunnel is being built there. This tunnel will meet the metro rail station located near the airport. Once completed, the airport will be directly connected to the elevated expressway and metro rail. As a result, the passengers who come from abroad can easily leave the airport and go to different destinations.