Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to open the operational activities of the much-awaited deep-sea port in Patuakhali, about 319 kilometres southwest of Dhaka, through a videoconference from Ganabhaban in the capital today. The trial operations of the port started early this month when a vessel from China reached the outer anchorage. The first commercial ship "MV-Fortune Bird" has already arrived at the outer anchorage from China with 53,000 metric tons of stones for the Padma bridge project.
The operational activities of the Payra Port will begin through unloading goods from a commercial ship at Ramnabad channel of the port. During a visit in the Payra port area, this correspondent found yesterday that some 12 lighter ships were waiting in the Ramnabad channel for operational work.
Captain Saidur Rahman, chairman of Payra Port Authority (PPA), said foreign ship will be able to come in the Payra port directly as it is located centrally. The depth of Chittagong port is 9.2 metres that of Paira Seaport is 15 metres. Mother vessels can be able to anchor there due to its depth, he added.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan is also scheduled to join the inaugural ceremony.
BSS adds: After the inauguration, the port activities will continue for providing some specific services until the full-fledged functions commence in 2018.
During the initial period, ships can unload goods at the outer anchorage while lighterages will carry those to the different parts of the country.
Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the country's third seaport at Kalapara in Patuakhali on November 19, 2013. On completion of its all construction works in the next two year, the port will provide services round-the-clock.
The port, which is being developed on an area of nearly 6 thousand acres of land, will also create the opportunity of establishing new industries and generating employments particularly in export processing and shipbuilding sectors.
The Chittagong seaport, which now handles more than 90 per cent of export-import trade of Bangladesh, can facilitate berthing of 186-metre vessels, according to Payra Port Authority (PPA).
It is expected that the Payra deep-sea port will make the economically week southwest region vibrant and contribute to the country's economic advancement.
The PPA said the port will encourage private companies to set up factories, especially garment plants and shipbuilding yards, in the adjacent areas and create jobs.
Besides Payra port, the premier will inaugurate the four uplift schemes through a videoconferencing from her official residence.