Legal notice seeks cancellation of ‘secret agreements’ for CPA container terminal
The notice also noted that permitting foreign operators to manage the facilities could jeopardise national security
A local business firm named Banglamark Corporation issued a legal notice to the authorities concerned, seeking steps for cancellation of "secret agreements" with foreign companies to operate container terminal of Chattogram Port Authority (CPA).
These agreements were allegedly signed during the ousted autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina without floating public tender, allowing foreign companies to manage facilities built with CPA's own funds.
The notice warned that if no action is taken to annul these agreements, a writ petition will be filed with the High Court as the next course of action.
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On behalf of Banglamark Corporation owner Md Rafiqul Islam, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Anwar Hossain served the legal notice yesterday (25 December) to the Shipping Ministry, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and Public Private Partnership Authority.
"Quite a large amount of foreign currency will stream out from Bangladesh besides shrinking jobs for local manpower if those container terminals are given to foreign operators," said the notice.
The notice also noted that permitting foreign operators to manage the facilities could jeopardise national security, as several sensitive installations are located near Chattogram Port.
It further stated that such unfair and secret agreements would marginalise capable and experienced domestic container handling operators.
The notice suggested that the government could instead encourage foreign investors to develop new container facilities around the port and initiate public tenders for their operations, allowing both local and international operators to participate in a fair and competitive bidding process.
