NCT lease deal: Under fire, shipping adviser leaves without meeting Ctg Port workers as 6th day of protest continues
The workers have called for the cancellation of the government’s decision to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal to Dubai-based operator DP World.
On the sixth day of the strike against the lease of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based DP World, Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain faced protest by workers when he visited the Bandar Bhaban at Chattogram Port to assess the situation this morning (5 February).
He held meetings with key stakeholders and senior port officials from 10am but reached no resolution and left around 12:30pm without meeting the striking workers, who were seen chanting a number of slogans - including "Bhua, Bhua (Fake)," "DP World go back," and "Ma, Mati, Bandar, Bideshider Dibo Na (We won't give our port to foreigners)."
Humayun Kabir, coordinator of the Bandar Rokkha Sangram Oikya Parishad, a platform of port employees and workers, told journalists the adviser had invited workers to discuss the matter at the Boat Club, but they refused, insisting the issue be resolved inside the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) building.
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"He left without holding any discussion with us. Later, workers broke through the security barrier and entered the port building to protest," he said, adding that the strike would continue until the lease decision is cancelled.
Earlier, at around 10:40am, the adviser faced opposition from workers while entering the CPA building and was reportedly held for about 20 minutes.
Since this morning, security measures have been strengthened at the port, with police, army, and navy personnel deployed. All port gates have been closed, and no workers are being allowed to enter the terminals. Port operations remain completely suspended for the third consecutive day.
Meanwhile, the port authority has invited business leaders to another meeting at the Boat Club at 3:30pm.
As a result of the shutdown, more than 11,000 export-laden containers have remained stranded at the port.
The protest started last Saturday (31 January) with an eight-hour daily work stoppage from 8am to 4pm, before escalating over the government's lack of response.
According to labour leaders, the authorities moved ahead with preparations to sign the lease and attempted to suppress the movement by transferring leaders, prompting the Bandar Rokkha Sangram Oikya Parishad to announce a 24-hour shutdown from Tuesday morning, followed by an indefinite strike from yesterday (4 February).
Chattogram business leaders met labour representatives yesterday afternoon, expressing moral support for the movement while urging alternative protests to limit economic losses, but labour leaders refused to withdraw the stoppage and reiterated their demand to cancel the DP World lease.
