The government is working diligently to inaugurate the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport soon as the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism is closely overseeing the project, said Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Thursday.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Baroness Winterton, the UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh, at the Commerce Adviser’s office.

“The work is progressing fast. The appointment of an operator to manage ground handling services at the terminal is also underway,” the adviser said.

In addition to discussing the third terminal, the meeting focused on enhancing trade, investment and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom, as well as matters related to Bangladesh’s LDC graduation.

On the LDC graduation, Sk Bashir Uddin said, “This is a significant milestone in our economic journey. While it will create substantial opportunities, it will also present certain challenges.”

He expressed the hope for the UK’s support in addressing potential hurdles.

Baroness Winterton assured that under the UK’s Trade Benefits Programme, Bangladesh’s products will enjoy full duty-free access to the UK market until 2029, helping the country maintain its export competitiveness during the transition from LDC status.

She also highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties further and expressed optimism about exploring new avenues for mutual prosperity and collaboration between the two countries.

Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, and Md. Abdur Rahim Khan, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, attended the meeting.