Home ›› 09 Apr 2023 ›› Front
The Payra Port has opened up a new horizon for the country’s economy as the port authorities hope that it will help boost their revenue manifold.
“The capital dredging of Rabnabad channel of Payra Port, the largest dredging venture in the country’s history, has been successfully completed recently at a cost of about Tk6,000 crore,” Payra Port Chairman Rear Admiral Sohail Ahmed told The Business Post in an exclusive interview.
He said, “After completing capital dredging works, Belgium-based dredging company Jan De Nul handed over the country’s deepest channel to the Payra Port Authority (PPA) on March 26 last, on the occasion of the Independence Day.”
The PPA chairman said the depth of the port channel, with a length of 75km and width of 110-200 metres, has now increased to 10.5 metres. Large-sized mother vessels, ranging 225 metres long and 32.2 metres wide, can now directly dock at the jetty of Payra Port with 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes of products. Early next month, a mother vessel carrying 50,000 tonnes of goods is scheduled to dock at Payra Port.
He expressed the hope that through this capacity of the port, Bangladesh’s foreign trade will expand greatly and a new horizon will be opened up for the country’s economy.
Ahmed said, “Preparations are going on to inaugurate the first terminal of Payra Port in May this year. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the terminal. Once the terminal is operational, the port’s import-export activities will increase manifold, boosting the revenue of the port several times.”
“The increased navigability of the Payra Port channel will pave the way to save both the cost and time in transportation of imported goods to almost all important cities of the country, including Dhaka. The Payra Port is the country’s first smart port built after the independence of Bangladesh. This port is no longer a possibility, but a reality. The year 2023 is going to be the year of Payra Port,” he added.
In future, multipurpose terminal, container terminal-1, container terminal-2, liquid bulk terminal, coal terminal, LNG terminal etc. will be added to the first terminal in the port.
The port chairman said, “Already, a lot of interest has been created among domestic and foreign businessmen and investors centring this port. They are interacting with port authorities in various ways and looking for suitable investment opportunities.”
Informing that revenue worth Tk800 crore was collected from the port last year, he said, “It will increase several times from this year. Payra will be the future of Bangladesh.”
President of Patuakhali Chamber of Commerce and Industries Gias Uddin said, “The economy of Patuakhali has started to change centring the Payra Port. Big investors from different parts of the country have taken initiative to build factories in Patuakhali. Meanwhile, the government has started the process of constructing an EPZ at Auliapur in Patuakhali.”
Local lawmaker Mohibbur Rahman Muhib said, “Due to completion of capital dredging, Payra Port has become one of the best ports in the world. Employment will be created for lakhs of people through this port, and people’s living standard will be improved.”
“As the Kuakata tourist spot and Payra Seaport are side by side, the acceptance of this port to the world will be very high. Businessmen will be able to conduct their operations from this port using water, land, rail and air routes,” he added.
The lawmaker expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for taking special measures to improve the fate of the people of the neglected southern region.
