The eagerly awaited transition of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport under the stewardship of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) might encounter a setback, with a projected delay of up to six months looming on the horizon. This anticipated delay stems from approximately 5% of the construction work that remains pending, as disclosed by a senior official of the aviation apex body to Dhaka Tribune on Saturday.
The final verdict on the handover timeline is anticipated post the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation, with an estimated completion duration of five to six months for the outstanding tasks, elucidated CAAB Chairman Mafidur Rahman. These tasks encompass critical installations, calibrations, and pre-testing of machinery vital for seamless airport operations.
Initial plans slated CAAB to assume control of the third terminal on Saturday, under the presumption of 100% completion of construction endeavors. However, essential infrastructural components such as the distributed antenna system (DAS) and integrated security system remain unfinished, thwarting the intended handover.
The absence of the DAS system, pivotal for extending mobile network coverage within solid constructions, surfaced as a glaring oversight in the project’s original blueprint. The deficiency came to light before the terminal’s soft opening in October last year, triggering concerns over mobile connectivity within the facility.
Moreover, the absence of an integrated security system poses grave security implications, exacerbated by past security breaches, including instances of underage individuals boarding aircraft without adequate scrutiny.
Interrogated by Dhaka Tribune, officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and CAAB voiced dismay over the oversight of critical elements during the project’s planning phase, prompting retrospective deliberations on project execution.
A recent investigative report by Dhaka Tribune unveiled CAAB’s modifications to the terminal’s interior design to accommodate the inability to install the DAS system per original specifications, incurring anticipated additional costs.
Notwithstanding initial disavowals of liability from CAAB, efforts are underway to ameliorate the situation, with Asiatic 360 enlisted to provide interim mobile network coverage within the terminal. Additionally, CAAB has initiated discussions with the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) regarding the installation of the DAS system, underscoring the concerted efforts to mitigate the delay’s ramifications.
