Payra Port Authority (PPA) Chairman Rear Admiral Masud Iqbal has said that the port will be fully operational starting July next year. He added that the port will be completed through the implementation of 19 components.

He made the remarks during a view exchange meeting titled “Development, progress, potential, and operational activities of Payra port” held on Wednesday (June 25) morning at the port’s first terminal building auditorium.

Chairman Rear Admiral Masud Iqbal said the channel depth of the port is currently over 6.5 meters. This allows mother vessels with a capacity of 40,000 to 50,000 metric tons to dock. He added that if the depth is increased up to 10.5 meters through maintenance dredging in the future, it will become the country’s deepest port. For this, the authority has initiated the purchase of two dredgers. The income from coal handling at power plants will help cover the cost.

He added, “The short distance between the capital and the port will reduce time and cost. The port offers 24-hour container transport by river. Once a six-lane road is built, cargo transport will be free from traffic jams.”

The meeting also revealed that Payra port has a 650-meter-long jetty, a 325,000-square-meter backup yard, a 10,000-square-meter modern CFS shed, and the capacity to handle 15 ships simultaneously. So far, the port has handled 529 foreign vessels and 3,426 domestic lighterages, generating revenue of BDT 20.79 billion for the government.

Commodore Mohammad Abdul Kader, member (Engineering and Development); Captain Mohammad Jamal Uddin Chowdhury, member (Harbor and Marine); shipping agents; and local journalists also spoke at the meeting. They raised various limitations of the port and called for quick solutions.

Representatives from different offices, traders, port users, and media personnel also attended the meeting.