Rear Admiral Masud Iqbal, Chairman of the Payra Sea Port Authority, said that Payra Port will start its operational activities from July 2026. It will be transformed into a full-fledged port by implementing 19 components.
He said, currently the depth of its channel is more than six and a half meters. Mother vessels carrying 40 to 50 thousand metric tons of goods can dock here. If its depth can be increased to 10 and a half meters through maintenance dredging, it will be deeper than other seaports and large ships will be able to dock here. For this, a two-year project will be taken up.
Within this period, two dredgers will be purchased and dredging will be carried out under our own supervision to reduce costs. It will be possible to meet the cost of dredging by handling coal from two neighboring power plants. Since its distance from the capital by river and road is less than other ports in the country, there is a time and cost-effective 24/7 container transport system on the river. In addition, if a 6-lane road is built, cargo transport facilities will be created on road routes without traffic jams.
He made these remarks at a meeting between the port authorities and stakeholders on the development, progress, prospects and operational activities of Payra Port at the First Terminal Building Auditorium on Tuesday morning.
Commodore Mohammad Abdul Quader, Member (Engineering and Development) of the Payra Port Authority, spoke on the development, progress and future plans of the port. Captain Md. Jamal Uddin Chowdhury, Member (Harbor and Marine) of the Payra Port, delivered the welcome speech. Mongla, Payra, Pangaon and Land Port Directors Sumon Howlader, Federation of Bangladesh Clearing and Forwarding Agents President Md. Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Director Mamunur Rashid, Kalapara Press Club Convener Md. Humayun Kabir and Patuakhali Press Club Convener Md. Zakir Hossain spoke on the occassion.
The meeting was attended by port officials, representatives of various departments, organizations, business leaders, port users-partners, and journalists of various electronic and print media.
