Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan yesterday said the government would declare Payra project as national priority project within a week to accelerate the pace of its construction work, reports BSS.

"We will declare the work of Payra port as national priority project within a week to accelerate the speed of its construction work," he said while presiding over a meeting with Payra port authority at secretariat here.

Acting Secretary of the Ministry M Abdus Samad, Chairman of Payra Port Authority Commodore Jahangir Alam and senior officials of the ministry, amongothers, were present, said a press release.

The meeting also informed that the dredging work for movement of water vessels on inland water route would be finished within two months.

Bangladesh Navy is implementing the dredging work.

Payra sea port is a strategically important project for Bangladesh. Supporting infrastructures including the most modern container carrier and a jetty have already been installed and construction of other structures is going on. It is expected that this port will start operation in full swing in 2023.