HSIA! Is It Ultimate Solution For Passengers?

International Airport | Capital City | Travel | Flight | Customs | Lounge | Lifestyle

History

In the early 1940s, the British built an airstrip at Balu Ghat in Kurmitola to provide an additional landing strip for Tejgaon Airport, which later became known as Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport(HSIA). Later, after the British left the country in 1947, the Pakistani forces used this airstrip at Kurmitola as their own base. With the technical assistance of French experts, the Pakistani government started construction work to convert this airstrip at Kurmitola into a new airport in 1966, and the present Dhaka Airport Railway Station was built to transport the construction materials for this work.

The war of liberation broke out in the middle of the construction work and construction work resumed after the country’s independence on December 16. It was then named Dhaka International Airport. In 1980, the then President Ziaur Rahman inaugurated a part of this airport. After Ziaur Rahman was assassinated, in 1983, the then BNP party president Abdus Sattar renamed this airport as Zia International Airport and inaugurated the Zia International Airport, which was spread over an area of ​​1,981 acres. It was fully operational; and at that time, its two terminals had a total area of ​​one hundred thousand square meters. On February 15, 2010, the name of Zia International Airport was changed to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh is currently engaged in the maintenance of the airport.

Counts of Terminals

Although Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has two terminals, the work on the third terminal began in 2019. On October 7, 2023, the then Prime Minister partially inaugurated the third terminal and its total area is 230,000 square meters. The new terminal was designed by internationally renowned architect Rouhani Bahrin. The total construction cost of the third terminal is Tk 21,399 crore. This will increase the annual passenger capacity from 9.1 million to about 20 million and the cargo capacity from 2.5 lakh tons to 5 lakh tons. Currently, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport operates about 190 international flights daily. This airport is the main operating center of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

Surrounding Area Information

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is located 18 kilometers north of the zero point of Dhaka city. There are several renowned hotels near the airport; such as Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Regency Hotel, Le Meridien, Best Western Plus Runway, Hotel Blue Bird, Platinum Residence, etc. These hotels have international standard facilities. In addition, nearby areas include Bashundhara, Mirpur, Uttara, Gulshan, Banani, Tongi, Tejgaon, Gazipur.

Airport Entrance

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport currently provides passenger transport services through two terminals. Terminal 1 is on the left as you enter the airport, Terminal 2 and the car parking area are in the middle, and a two-story car parking area is on the right. Terminals one and two are two-story; the ground floor of Terminal 1 is usually used for domestic passenger services, and the upper floors of Terminals 1 and 2 are usually used for international passenger services. The entire ground floor of the terminal is used for all types of incoming passengers. In addition, Terminal 3 is being prepared to further improve passenger transport services. There is also a VVIP terminal, which is located 200 meters to the right of the gate of the purchased Terminal 2. There is also a cargo terminal with an annual capacity of two hundred thousand tons.

Documents Required for Entry at the Airport

Only valid passport holders and ticket holders are allowed to enter Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. First time. You will have to go through security checking once while entering. While entering the airport, you will have to carry a valid passport, ticket copy, NOC copy, vaccine certificate in some cases, any permit in some cases, etc. If you do not bring any copy with you, you can copy it from inside after paying any specific fee after entering. Besides, there is a money exchanger.

Baggage Checking and Help Desk

Generally, different transport companies provide different types of permission for baggage transportation. The amount of this baggage transportation is mentioned on each ticket. For any need of the passenger, they can take help from the help desk or expatriates can take help from the Expatriate Welfare Organization desk. It is better to check the baggage at least three to five hours before the departure time of the passenger. There is also a baggage wrapping system at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The baggage checking time and counter number or terminal number are mentioned in the ticket; accordingly, the baggage has to be checked at a specific counter and the baggage checking time of each airline starts as soon as it appears on the computer screen. The airline staff on duty checks the passenger’s passport, ticket, baggage and tags each piece of baggage according to the passenger’s passport; before giving the tag, if there is a preferred seat, it has to be requested in advance from the airline staff on duty. After the baggage checking is completed properly, the passenger receives a boarding pass where the seat number and boarding gate number are mentioned. This boarding pass must be kept with you carefully until the end of the journey. The next step after baggage checking is to go through immigration.

Immigration

Immigration is the verification of a passenger’s travel information. The immigration police officer only needs to present all the necessary answers clearly and without hesitation. Taking any kind of photo or video during immigration is completely prohibited. The immigration police officer may ask a passenger for his/her valid passport, valid air ticket copy, valid hotel reservation copy, other necessary documents and the passenger may take a photo and fingerprints. Before leaving the immigration table, the passenger must make sure that the immigration police officer has given a seal. The immigration police officer can detain or release a passenger at will and in that case the passenger must complete immigration with patience.

Waiting Area

After successfully clearing immigration, a passenger has to wait along the boarding gate as indicated on the boarding pass or display screen; because the boarding gate is opened for passengers 45 to 1 hour before the flight starts. Passengers have to complete the necessary tasks before entering the boarding gate. If a passenger wants, he can eat food from this waiting area, use free WiFi, use the toilet, exchange money or do some shopping. Apart from this, there are nine lounges where card holders of different banks (first class or business class or economy class) have lounge facilities; which are operated by five-star hotels, such as InterContinental Dhaka. From there, a passenger can eat complimentary food, rest, and even take a shower and sleep. Some of the names of such lounges are City Bank Lounge, Mutual Trust Bank Lounge, Sky Lounge, etc. These lounges are located on the second floor of the waiting area. The duty officer of the lounge has to show the card and ticket of the specified bank and the complimentary facilities can be availed accordingly. The duty officers there will announce or call the passenger when it is time to board.
There are also some other services in the waiting area such as:

• Restaurant facilities
• Adequate toilets
• Free trolley service
• Help desk
• Shuttle bus service
• Senior citizen corner
• Free telephone booth facility
• Baby breastfeeding facility
• Free Wi-Fi facility
• Prayer facility
• Wheel chair facility
• Car rental service
• Money exchange service
• Luggage wrapping service
• Smoking room
• Duty free shop
• Airport Hajj control room
• Health services
• Hotel booth
• VIP lounge facility
• Lost and found section
• Instruction for animals
• Instruction for organic material
• Instruction for firearms
• Emergency service

Exit or Departure

You should enter the boarding room only when it is time for boarding. Usually, the boarding area opens 45 minutes to 1 hour before the flight departs. Before entering the boarding room, you have to go through another security check. At this time, if a passenger has hand luggage, shoes, watches, mobile phones, waist belts or any metal objects with them, they must be removed by the security guard on duty. After entering the boarding area, you will have to wait for a while here too. 15 to 30 minutes before the flight departs, a line is formed to board the plane. At this time, the flight attendant on duty gives directions according to the passenger’s seat number and allows them to board the plane. After picking everyone up one by one from the boarding area, the flight attendant closes the plane’s doors and as soon as the pilot receives the instructions, he starts driving the plane towards the runway. In domestic air transport, passengers are usually taken to the plane by transport buses and in some cases, buses are also used for international transport; moreover, boarding bridges are used for international transport. Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is about 3300 meters long. The pilot took the plane to the runway and took off as soon as the green signal came.

Ordinary Customs Guidelines

1. A passenger can carry a maximum of 200 cigarettes for personal use during a trip
2. Bangladeshi passport holders cannot carry alcohol; however, foreign passport holders can carry up to one liter of alcoholic water
3. A passenger can bring a maximum of 2 mobile phones duty free.
4. If a product is brought for commercial use, the customs authorities can confiscate it
5. Subject to the approval of the Ministry of Commerce, a passenger can carry a firearm by paying 5000 taka tax or duty
6. Can carry a laptop
7. A maximum of 10 thousand dollars can be brought with them; but in the case of foreign passengers, dollars must be endorsed in the passport

You can also visit the website of Shahjalal International Airport(https://www.hsia.gov.bd/) to know more.

Final Words

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is spread over an area of ​​about 1981 acres. Currently, the combined capacity of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of the airport is 35,000 per day. To convert this capacity to 55,000, the third terminal is being built and its area is about 230,000 square meters. Once the third terminal is operational, Bangladesh will move to a much higher level in terms of international airports.