Payra Port Authority

The Payra Port Authority is currently focused on addressing severe sedimentation in the Rabnabad Channel that restricts vessel draft and hinders commercial operations.

Payra Port Authority is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Shipping established by Act No. LIII of 2013. The port is Bangladesh's third seaport, located on the Rabnabad Channel in Kalapara Upazila, Patuakhali district. Commercial operations commenced August 2016. The port was originally planned as a deep-sea port but was reclassified to a seaport by 2021 due to insufficient natural depth. The port infrastructure (as of May 2026) includes a 650-metre jetty capable of berthing 3,000-3,500 TEU container vessels, a 3.25 lakh sq metre backup yard, a 10,000 sq metre container freight station, and capacity to accommodate 15 vessels simultaneously. Three coal-based power plants operate along the Payra River in Kalapara Upazila. Rear Admiral Masud Iqbal assumed the chairmanship on 5 January 2025, replacing Rear Admiral Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury who returned to the Bangladesh Navy; the transfer notification was signed 17 December 2024 by the Ministry of Public Administration. staff_count and annual_budget_bdt omitted: no primary-source figures found in publicly accessible documents. Cumulative port revenue from August 2016 to December 2025: Tk 1,861.82 crore across 5,338 vessel calls (544 foreign ships). Verification: 2+ primary sources cross-checked for all key claims.