Bangladesh’s government is targeting a soft opening of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on December 16, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said. Speaking to journalists at the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry at the Secretariat on Sunday, he said work on the terminal remains under way. He added that full operations could begin within a maximum of three months after the soft opening.

Millat said the Japanese side is expected to submit its bid by the 25th of this month. The bid will be evaluated in detail, and the government hopes to sign a contract by September. After that, he said, about three and a half months would remain to prepare for a possible soft opening.

The minister said the government would try to hold the soft opening within that period. However, if additional time is needed to complete the work properly, the deadline could be extended by one or two months. Despite that possibility, he said the government is still sticking to its December 16 target for the soft opening.