Bangladesh’s Payra Bandar (Payra Port), located at the southern region of Patualhali, was inaugurated and opened for limited operational activities with the arrival of MV Fortune Bird on August 13, 2016.
The Fortune Bird transported a shipment of stone from China for Padma Bridge.
The port is expected to become fully operational by the end of 2018, according to the Payra Port Authority.
The Payra Port, once it becomes fully operational, will enable vessels with drafts from eight to ten meters to anchor.
The port is expected to help loading and unloading of goods more quickly than Chittagong port, the largest port in Bangladesh, which now handles 92 percent of the country’s export and import.
Sheikh Hasina, the country’s Prime Minister who officially put the Payra Port into operation, said the port would help tap the huge potential of the region.
The Prime Minister further said that a naval base is being constructed in Payra.
In addition, some other projects intended for overall development of the area have been launched, including shipbuilding, ship recycling, economic zone and power plant.
“Payra Port will be a deep sea port in future, making the region a hub of economic activities,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said.
The project was launched in November 2013 when the Prime Minister laid the foundation of the country’s third seaport at Ramnabad Channel.