Aiming to serve passengers using the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as best as possible, the ground handling work of the new terminal will be outsourced to an international standard organization.The organisation can be local or any foreign company but its standard must be international, Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Mafidur Rahman told UNB.He said the international quality organization does not mean only foreign companies. It can be domestic or foreign. “We will select the organisation according to its quality," he said.According to CAAB sources, passengers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) have been facing problems like the mishandling of luggage due to various irregularities and mismanagement of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, which has been doing the ground handling itself for many years now. Taking into consideration the issue of passengers suffering, the ground and cargo handling activities of the new third terminal will be outsourced to an international quality organization.The chairman said that Biman Bangladesh Airlines has been asked several times to take care of every single luggage. They were even asked to treat luggage as  passengers, but they did not listen which is really unfortunate."We want to provide international quality service where passengers will not have any complaints," he said.  At the same time, it will help to increase the government's income, he added.State minister for civil aviation and tourism Mahbub Ali told UNB, "We are thinking of inviting an international tender for the ground handling of the third terminal. Only those who are considered eligible by following all the rules and conditions will get the work. Our aim is to provide better service to passengers, for that we will do everything possible.”“No compromise will be made over the quality of the work of this terminal. Only quality products specified in the tender will be supplied for this project, nothing else will be accepted. Anything that causes loss to the state or people will not be tolerated here,” he said. "The organizations which are doing ground handling in developed countries will be selected. We will not compromise with anyone on the quality of airport services."The junior minister said they want to provide quality and hassle-free service to every passenger as in developed countries. Also read: Dhaka airport's 3rd terminal to open in Oct 2023: State Minister

Hundreds of people thronged the Paturia ferry terminal on Saturday morning to return to Dhaka after celebrating Eid with their families at their native places in southern Bangladesh. Many of them claimed that they were left with no option but to board buses charging more to avoid travelling on overcrowded ferries. They alleged that the bus operators were taking advantage of the huge rush at the ferry ghat.  Farhad Hossain, returning from Jashore, said, “I am going back to my workplace with my wife and two children. The passenger bus we boarded charged us Tk 800 for four seats, which is double the usual fare." READ: May Day mad rush at Paturia ghat Jahanara Begum, a garment worker, said, “I usually travel to Nabinagar in Savar by bus. While the regular fare is Tk 80, I was forced to shell out Tk 150 for a seat on Saturday." A reality check by UNB revealed that some ferries were carrying passengers beyond the permitted capacity. Deputy general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport and Corporation (BIWTC), Shah Khaled Newaz, said more ferries had been pressed into service to cater to the return rush.

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. READ: HSIA Expansion: Aviation Consortium Dhaka set to get the job 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.

At least 12 buses were set on fire by unidentified miscreants at a terminal in Faridpur district town in the early hours of Saturday, prompting the police to initiate a criminal probe. All the buses -- owned by former Awami League leader Sajjad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hossain Rubel, both facing money laundering charges -- had been kept at the terminal since their seizure by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in June 2020. READ: Locals set fire to truck that killed 2 youths on motorcycle in Kushtia Md Alimuzzaman, superintendent of Faridpur Police, said that some assailants set the 12 buses of ‘South Line’ Paribahan on fire around 1.30am at the terminal in Goalchamte. "Some 22 buses were parked at the terminal," he said. On information, fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was eventually estinguished. Suraiya Parveen, wife of Barkat, said that a local court on February 25, 2020, ordered the seizure of 55 vehicles, owned by Barkat-Rubel. Shipul Ahmed, assistant director of Faridpur Fire Service and Civil Defense, said, “A probe is on to unearth the origin of the fire.” “The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will look into the case,” said inspector Nasir Hossain. On March 3 last year, the CID filed a chargesheet against 10 people, including Barkat and Rubel, in a Tk 2,000-crore money laundering case. READ: RU student killed in road crash: students vandalise and set fire on vehicles CID's assistant superintendent Uttam Kumar Biswas submitted the chargesheet in the Dhaka metropolitan magistrate's court.

Ferry services on Shimulia-Banglabazar route resumed on Monday after over two months of suspension, Medium sized ferries carrying light vehicles will operate on this route during the day time for now, said Ashikuzzaman, Director (commerce) of BIWTC. Currently four ferries are plying on this route while passengers are being carried by 87 launches and 101 speedboats, he said. Also read: Ferry movement suspended on Shimulia-Banglabazar route All the ferries were seen moving with ease under the Padma bridge. On August 18, BIWTC suspended all ferry services on the route for an indefinite period due to strong current in the Padma River. The decision came after at least five ferries hit the Padma Bridge pillars between July and August this year. Also read: Ferry services on Shimulia-Banglabazar route resume after 48 days