Lesson 1/35 min
Seaports
The basics
- Three seaports: Chattogram, Mongla and Payra
- The main seaport is Chattogram, called the country's ‘gateway’ (Zubair's GK)
- Payra is the first seaport built in independent Bangladesh
Chattogram seaport
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | At the mouth of the Karnaphuli river, Chattogram |
| First jetties | 1860: two temporary jetties |
| Port started | 1887 (in both books and the exam answer) |
| Port Commissioners | Formation in 1877 (book); in effect under the Port Commissioners Act from 25 April 1888 |
| Mooring jetties | 1888: two |
| Permanent jetties | 1899–1910: four (Port Commissioners and the Assam Bengal Railway) |
| Rail link | 1910 |
| Declared a major port | 1926 |
| Port Trust | July 1960: the Port Commissioners became the Chattogram Port Trust |
| Present form | In the Bangladesh period the Trust became the Chattogram Port Authority, an autonomous public body |
Watch out: Exams give ‘Chattogram port started in 1887’ as the answer. According to Banglapedia, formal operation began on 25 April 1888 under the Port Commissioners Act of 1887. The year the Trust became the Port Authority is unclear in the book print, so it is left out here.
Mongla seaport
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Mongla upazila, Bagerhat; where the Pashur and Mongla rivers meet; south-west region |
| Established | 1 December 1950 (the year 1950 is the exam answer) |
| Rank | The second largest seaport of the country |
| Distance | 48 km south of Khulna city |
| Role | An alternative route for international shipping lines to relieve pressure on Chattogram |
Payra seaport
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Kalapara, Patuakhali; beside the Rabnabad channel, on the Andharmanik river (book) |
| Act | Payra Port Authority Act passed by Parliament in 2013 |
| Foundation stone | 19 November 2013 (PM Sheikh Hasina) |
| Operations began | 13 August 2016 |
| Order | The country's third seaport; the first of independent Bangladesh |
| Size (book) | 30 km long, 1 km wide; about 6,000 acres |
Watch out: One line of Khandokar's GK says Payra was opened on ‘18 August 2013’. Web sources show the Act (November) and the foundation stone (19 November) in 2013, and operations beginning with the first ship on 13 August 2016, so the August 2013 date is not used.
Matarbari deep seaport
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Matarbari, Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar |
| Project period (book) | 2020–2026 |
| ECNEC approval | 10 March 2020 |
| Cost | Tk 17,777 crore: JICA 12,892, Government 2,671, Chattogram Port Authority 2,213 crore |
| Order | The country's first deep-sea port project; its fourth seaport |
Watch out: The book says the Matarbari port will open in 2026. Reports in 2026 quote the Chattogram Port Authority saying construction will begin in 2026, with an opening target around 2029; the port is not yet operating. Zubair's GK names Sonadia as the proposed deep-sea port, which is outdated.
Check yourself
Which was the first seaport built in independent Bangladesh?
At a glance
- 1
Three seaports: Chattogram (Karnaphuli), Mongla (Pashur, Bagerhat), Payra (Patuakhali).
- 2
Chattogram port started 1887 (the exam answer); an autonomous body; declared a major port in 1926.
- 3
Mongla was established in 1950 (1 December); second largest; 48 km south of Khulna.
- 4
Payra: Act and foundation stone in 2013, operations from 13 August 2016; the third seaport.
- 5
Matarbari (Cox's Bazar): first deep-sea port project, cost Tk 17,777 crore, JICA-financed; still under construction.