Govt will probe irregularities, if any, in Payra port dredging: shipping adviser

A high-level technical probe committee will be formed to assess the matter, says M Sakhawat Hossain

The government will investigate any irregularities in the capital dredging work of Payra Sea Port, if such allegations prove substantial, Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said today.

“A high-level technical probe committee should be formed to assess the matter,” he told reporters this noon, following a seminar held at a hotel in Kuakata, where the master plan of Payra Port was presented.

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He acknowledged that detecting any wrongdoing has become increasingly difficult as the previously dredged channel is now gradually getting silted.

“Even so, if the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) wishes to investigate the dredging, the ministry will extend full cooperation,” he added.

The capital dredging of the 75km-long and 125m-wide Rabnabad Channel, completed last year by German firm Jan De Nul at a cost of Tk 6,500 crore, initially allowed mother vessels with a 10.5m draft to access the port.

However, rapid siltation has reduced the channel’s navigable depth to only 6 metres, barring access for coal-laden mother vessels meant for the Payra and RNPL power plants.

As a result, these vessels are now diverted to Chattogram Port, from where coal must be offloaded onto lighter vessels—an arrangement that significantly raises transportation costs and affects power generation expenses.

Speaking at the seminar, the adviser noted that any seaport requires time to become profitable.

“We must give Payra Port the opportunity to develop. If its growth is managed in a well-planned manner—along with establishing effective road, river, and rail links—it can certainly become a profitable venture,” he said.

He also remarked that currently, about 93% of Bangladesh’s import-export trade is handled through Chattogram Port.

With expanding industrialisation and export activities, he projected that the country’s international trade would nearly double by 2050.

Rear Admiral Masud Iqbal, chairman of Payra Port Authority, chaired the seminar.

The keynote presentation on the port’s master plan was delivered by Menno Muijs, team leader of Netherlands-based consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV.

Prof Dr Ishtiaque Ahmed, lead consultant from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, delivered the introductory speech, while Commodore Mohammad Abdul Kader, member for engineering & development of the authority, presented on the port’s development, progress, and future roadmap.

Speakers highlighted that the port’s planned infrastructure includes a 650-metre-long modern jetty, a backup yard spanning over 325,000 square metres, and a straight, wide navigation channel.

Other features will include berthing/unberthing without delays, transshipment capacity for 15 vessels within the inner channel, year-round river connectivity without tidal constraints, contingency anchorage facilities, ample car parking sheds, competitive tariff rates, and smooth road cargo movement.

The first terminal of Payra Port is expected to become operational by July 2026.

The port authority aims to ensure a tech-integrated, automated operation with smart client services.

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