Shipping Advisor Aims to Develop Payra Port as a Green Port

Kuakata, Patuakhali: In a workshop discussing the master plan for the development of Payra Port, Shipping Advisor Brigadier General (Retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain emphasized the goal of transforming Payra Port into a green port. Speaking as the chief guest at the event held on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at a hotel in Kuakata, Patuakhali, he said, “None of our ports have been developed to international standards. Even Chittagong Port lacks strong international connectivity. Payra Port is a new port, and we are working to advance it. The new government will take its operations forward. I am also striving to secure funding for Payra Port.”

The workshop, organized by the Payra Port Authority (PPA), featured a keynote address by Rear Admiral Masud Iqbal, Chairman of PPA. He announced that the first terminal of Payra Port is expected to commence operations by July 2026. A master plan, developed over several years by a BUET expert team and Netherlands-based consultancy firm Royal HaskoningDHV, aims to make the port economically viable and internationally competitive. The port is projected to achieve self-sustainability through revenue generation within the next three years.

Meno Muiz, team leader of Royal HaskoningDHV and an international port planning expert, presented the master plan, highlighting Payra Port’s greater potential compared to Mongla Port in southwestern Bangladesh. He stated that the port’s first terminal will be fully operational by 2026, promising significant economic benefits for investors and stakeholders. Professor Istiaque Ahmed, team leader of the master plan project and a BUET civil engineering professor, noted that the master plan, finalized in 2023, is flexible and can be adjusted as needed. He emphasized the feasibility of developing Payra as a deep-sea port, which could become profitable once fully operational. A video documentary on the port’s development and future plans was presented by Commodore Mohammad Abdul Kader, PPA’s Member (Engineering and Development). He highlighted the advantage of the 75-km-long natural Rabnabad Channel, which allows large cargo ships to dock at the port’s jetty with ease.

The workshop’s second session included feedback and suggestions from stakeholders on the master plan and the port’s overall progress.