The government is moving swiftly to open the much-anticipated third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, with Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism actively monitoring the project, said Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin on Thursday.
He shared the update during a meeting with Baroness Winterton, UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh, held at his office.
"The work on the third terminal is progressing rapidly," the adviser said. "We're also in the process of appointing a ground-handling operator to ensure efficient management once the terminal becomes operational."
Beyond infrastructure, the meeting also covered broader areas of cooperation, including trade, investment and economic collaboration between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom, as well as key issues surrounding Bangladesh’s upcoming graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
Describing the LDC graduation as a “significant milestone,” Sheikh Bashir Uddin acknowledged that while it opens up new economic opportunities, it will also bring certain challenges.
He expressed optimism about receiving continued UK support to navigate those challenges effectively.
Baroness Winterton reaffirmed the UK’s commitment, stating that under UK’s Trade Benefits Programme, Bangladeshi exports will enjoy full duty-free access to UK market until 2029.
This extended support aims to help Bangladesh maintain export competitiveness during its transition out of LDC status.
She also emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties and expressed interest in exploring new areas of collaboration for shared economic growth.
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke and Additional Secretary of Ministry of Commerce Md. Abdur Rahim Khan were also present at the meeting.
SH
