Left Democratic Alliance protests foreign leasing of key Ctg Port terminals

The Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), a coalition of left-leaning political parties, in Chattogram has protested what it calls an irrational and harmful move to lease key port terminals to foreign companies, warning that such decisions undermine national interests and bypass proper scrutiny.

They organised the gathering today (16 November) at the Cinema Palace area, opposing the government's plan to allow Denmark-based APM Terminals to build and operate a terminal on Laldiar Char and hand over the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal to a Switzerland-based firm.

The event was chaired by Advocate Shafi Uddin Kabir Abid, coordinator of the LDA and Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Basad- Marxist) Chattogram unit.

Speakers included Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) district acting secretary Nuruchchhafa Bhuiyan, Basad district in-charge Al Kaderi Joy, and Basad district member Jasim Uddin, according to a press release.

The leaders argued that the interim government is acting far beyond its mandate. They pointed out that the chief adviser, in his recent address, had defined the administration's core responsibilities as ensuring justice for the July killings, implementing reforms, and holding timely elections. "Instead, the government is rushing to lease out Chattogram Port to foreign companies," one speaker said.

They criticised what they described as unusual haste, irregularities, and secrecy in approving long-term agreements for the Laldiar Char and Pangaon terminals. According to them, the decisions were cleared at an Ecnec meeting held on a weekly holiday, an approval process they said was unprecedented and lacking transparency. Port users were not consulted, they added.

The speakers questioned why the government was pushing through these deals before completing a national port strategy, which the shipping adviser recently acknowledged Bangladesh still does not have. "Formulate the policy first. Build national consensus. Then take decisions about strategic assets," they said. They argued that any lease agreements should be paused until the next elected parliament can debate the matter.

The leaders warned that Chattogram Port handles 92% of Bangladesh's import and export trade, making it a strategic economic lifeline. Decisions about the port, they said, cannot be judged by economic returns alone but must consider long-term national, economic, and security risks. With only one major seaport, they argued, transferring terminal control to foreign corporations is especially risky.

They also questioned why Bangladesh has not yet developed a national port policy, long-term investment plan, or institutional capacity comparable to countries like Singapore, Malaysia, or Vietnam. Handing terminals to foreign operators without first strengthening domestic capabilities, they said, contradicts the political rhetoric of turning Bangladesh into a global maritime leader.

The protesters called for halting all leasing decisions until transparency is ensured, contract terms are made public, stakeholders are involved, and the next parliament debates the future governance of the country's most critical port infrastructure.