Payra wheat silo in Russian focus 

Russia has expressed its interest in constructing a large-capacity wheat silo at Payra seaport in Patuakhali with its financing, with Russia expressing interest in assessing the feasibility of the project following a proposal from Bangladesh’s Food Minister Afroz Khanam.

The proposed silo could initially have a storage capacity of 200,000 tonnes, which could gradually be expanded to 500,000 tonnes, according to the Food Ministry.

The proposal was given in a bilateral courtesy meeting between Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Khozin and the Food Minister at the minister’s ministry office on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the Russian ambassador proposed exporting wheat to Bangladesh under a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement. He also suggested constructing a Russian-financed wheat silo in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar.

In response, the minister said the proposal for government-level wheat imports from Russia would be reviewed before a decision was communicated. Regarding the silo in Maheshkhali, she noted that limited land availability in the Cox’s Bazar area could make it difficult to accommodate such a large infrastructure project.

She suggested considering unused land at Payra seaport as an alternative, citing its existing port infrastructure and transport connectivity.

According to the minister, the proposed facility would allow Bangladesh to store wheat imported from Russia and subsequently supply private wheat importers and meet government requirements. The initiative could strengthen the country’s wheat storage and supply management while generating economic benefits for both countries.

She added that a silo at Payra could facilitate efficient wheat transportation to key distribution centres, including Narayanganj and Baghabari in Sirajganj.

The minister invited the Russian ambassador to visit Payra seaport to assess potential sites, infrastructure facilities and implementation prospects. Khozin welcomed the proposal and expressed interest in the feasibility assessment.