Passenger traffic at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport continued to climb in 2025, with at least 12.72 million travelers passing through the country’s busiest gateway, according to airport sources. The figure compares with 12.5 million passengers in 2024 and 11.7 million in 2023 -- an annual increase of about 223,000, or 1.8%. Designed to handle about 8 million passengers annually, Hazrat Shahjalal is now operating at nearly double its intended capacity. Authorities expect relief once the new Terminal-3 becomes fully operational, enabling the airport to accommodate more than 20 million passengers a year. Eight years of delayThe third terminal project was approved in 2017 under the then Awami League government, with construction beginning on December 28, 2019.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 24, 2026 14:59 UTC