Chattogram Port lease deals spark outcry amid hard-line protest threat
The deals involve leasing the lucrative New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based DP World and awarding a contract to Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk to construct a new container terminal at Laldia Char in Patenga
Highlights:
- Government finalises 30-year leases of key Chattogram Port terminals
- Strong opposition from business groups, unions, and civil society
- DP World and Maersk set to control major terminals
- Labour unions plan strikes amid security bans and rising tensions
- Business leaders fear revenue loss, reduced autonomy, and low transparency
- Unions warn of security risks, job losses, and foreign control
The government has finalised highly controversial 30-year agreements to lease out key terminals at Chattogram Port, despite strong opposition from nearly all stakeholders, including business leaders, professional bodies, labour unions, and civil society representatives.
The deals involve leasing the lucrative New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based DP World and awarding a contract to Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk to construct a new container terminal at Laldia Char in Patenga.
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The controversy heightened last Wednesday when Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), confirmed at a press conference in Dhaka that the agreement with AP Moller-Maersk would be signed within the next week.
Simultaneously, a document obtained by TBS reveals that Lutfey Siddiqui, special envoy to the chief adviser on international affairs, has urged officials to complete all preparations for signing the agreement with DP World by 15 December.
Mounting protests and security fears
Labour unions, which have long agitated against the port leasing decision, have announced preparations for stringent actions, including a general strike.
Over the past week, several organisations – including the Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP), Sramik Kalyan Federation, Ganatantrik Bam Morcha, and Port Protection Council – have held programmes such as hunger strikes, mass processions, demonstrations, and rallies, appealing to the government to reverse its decision. Civil society representatives have urged the general public in Chattogram to join the "Save the Port" movement.
Protesters argue that Chattogram Port is a crucial national asset, handling over 93% of Bangladesh's import and export trade. Leasing vital terminals to foreign operators, they claim, poses a threat to national sovereignty.
Meanwhile, the Chattogram Metropolitan Police has imposed a ban on all forms of public gatherings and assemblies in and around the port area until 14 December, leading to fears of potential unrest and clashes.
"We are not against foreign investment. However, it must be fair and based on an open tender process."
Business leaders' concern
Business leaders in Chattogram voiced their apprehension, suggesting that NCT is already operating above its capacity and that a foreign operator could at best increase capacity by a mere 10%.
They fear that leasing the profitable terminal to foreign control will result in the port losing autonomy, with a large share of the port's revenue moving out of the country.
Amirul Haque, managing director of the Seacom Group and a leader of the United Business Forum, told TBS, "We are not against foreign investment. However, it must be fair and based on an open tender process. That would benefit the country."
He also referenced the Patenga Container Terminal, which was leased on a DPM basis in the previous government's tenure for 22 years but is still operating at less than half its capacity after 18 months, questioning the guarantee of success with DP World.
Another business leader, Mahfuzul Haque Shah, highlighted the lack of transparency. "NCT is a self-sufficient terminal. The government is not disclosing how much capacity DP World will add or how much they will invest, which raises public suspicion." He added that the opposition is natural if the government fails to clearly state how the country will benefit from the agreement.
Labour unions warn of hard-line action
The SKOP has been protesting for months. Its leaders and members were recently blocked by police while attempting a march towards the port, forcing them to stage a sit-in demonstration on the road. The Sramik Kalyan Federation and the Chattogram Port Protection Council have also joined the movement.
The unions highlight the proximity of the terminals to sensitive naval and air force bases (near NCT and Laldia Char, respectively), expressing fear that foreign operations could compromise national security. They also fear that workers will lose their jobs.
The SKOP held a torch procession on Saturday evening protesting against the government's move. The march began at Halishahar Nayabazar and ended at Boropul, drawing participation from dock, transport and port-affiliated workers' unions.
Nurullah Bahar, SKOP coordinator and former general secretary of the Chattogram Port CBA, said that if the government objects to a domestic operator, it could operate the terminal through the dry dock facility, but handing the port to a foreign company is unacceptable.
The organisation will hold a joint meeting on 22 November to announce further programmes, which he suggested could include severe measures like blockades and a general strike.
Tapan Dutta, a veteran labour leader and member of the Labour Reform Commission, alleged that the US has been attempting to gain control of Chattogram Port for a long time, alleging a new attempt using "Muhammad Yunus."
He accused the government of trying to suppress the movement by banning assemblies near the port and vowed to thwart the foreign leasing plot with the support of people across Bangladesh.
