Payra has the potential to become an important port and a global trade hub as the Bangladesh government plans to develop the region as one of the country’s major economic corridors by establishing direct road and rail connections between the capital Dhaka and the rest of the country, allowing for connectivity with India, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. Once the government’s planned rail and road projects centred on the southern region are completed, the area is poised to become a core for regional communication and trade with India, China, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
In addition, Payra is home to the country’s largest coal-fired power plant. A 163-kilometer transmission line from the power plant to the Gopalganj grid has already been finished, while a 75-kilometer line from Gopalganj to Dhaka’s Aminbazar is currently being built and is expected to be completed by December of this year.
The power generated at the plant is distributed to 25,358 families in various chars of Rangabali upazila, Patuakhali, which is surrounded by sea and rivers, via submarine cables. The government is edging closer to its goal of 100 percent electrification as a result of this.
