The third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport may be inaugurated by September or October 2023, said State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali.

Already 34.6 % work of the terminal has been completed which is 1.9% more than the expected target. According to the authorities concerned, some 32.7% work was scheduled to finish on April 8, 2022, he said.

The minister said this  while talking to reporters after visiting the ongoing work of the third terminal on Monday.

Once the terminal opens for passengers, it will be possible to overcome the infrastructural limitations in passenger service, said Mahbub.

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Besides, there is a need to coordinate the work of constructing a tunnel for entering into the third terminal and an elevated expressway and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed to expand the tunnel to Ashkona Hajj camp, he said.

The work of the elevated expressway will begin in a few days, he added.

Replying to a question on whether the project cost may increase, Mahbub said “We’ll look into it and what is applicable for the project will be considered.”

Replying to a question about the plane fare for different countries including the Middle East, the minister said “We sat with the airline authorities before and the situation is improving gradually. I hope it will decrease within one month.”

Asked about the preparation for hajj pilgrims, Mahbub said, "We will try our best to keep plane fare at tolerable levels."

Meanwhile, the construction work of two additional high speed taxiways at the airport will be completed by the first week of May, said Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman.