Payra Sea Port is the 3^rd sea port of Bangladesh located in general area in between latitude 21^o15’- 22^o00’ North and longitude 90^o00’- 90^o30’ East on the bank of Rabnabad Channel under Kalapara, a sub district of Patuakhali. In order to increase the economic activities in the central zone and meet the future demand, Payra Port Authority Act 2013 was passed in the National Parliament on 10 November 2013. Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated country’s 3^rd sea port named as “Payra Port Authority” at Rabnabad Channel at Patuakhali district on 19 November 2013.

Government has taken Short, Mid & Long Term Plan to develop a state of the art modern sea port. As Short Term Plan, Payra Port Authority is set to operate the port activities by off loading cargos from mother vessels at outer/inner anchorage and transported to the hinterlands through river routes. All the necessary preparations like Custom Clearance Facilities, VHF communication, Banking, enlistment of Ship handling operators, C&F, Shipping agent, Channel Marking with Laying of Buoys at River and approach channel, Marking of Payra inner and outer Anchorage area, Implementation of ISPS code, UN Locator Code, and port security including a Bangladesh Coast Guard station with high-speed vessel and manpower etc have been completed.

Under Mid Term Plan, by 2024 Govt is going to operate the port with at least one multipurpose and one bulk terminal where deep draught vessel with upto 12 m can berth safely. Under Long Term Plan, by 2030 the port would be fully operational with a 16 m channel where minimum 10 km container & other terminals with all other associated facilities like  establishing EEZ, Air port, Port city, Dockyeard/Shipyard, Echo Tourism etc centring to the port.

Presently the port users are using River Route connecting to Dhaka and other districts. In the river route, vessel more than 4 metre draught with bulk cargo are plying day and night irrespective of tide. Various commodities including food grain, cement, fertilizer and other bulk are being transported from Payra to Dhaka and other destinations through internal waterways.

PPA’s objective focuses mainly on providing necessary services and facilities to the port users efficiently and effectively at competitive price. Though PPA started its limited scale port operations by offloading bulk cargoes at inner/outer anchorage, with the passage of time PPA is going to handle maximum volume of container and bulk cargoes of Bangladesh using the geographical advantages and good hinterland connectivity.