Port protection committee condemns NCT lease deal with DP World, calls for hunger strike

The Port Protection Committee has condemned the government's decision to lease Chattogram Port's New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based DP World, alleging a lack of public consultation and transparency.

At an emergency meeting in Chattogram today (10 October), the committee demanded disclosure of the contract terms, an independent financial and technical assessment, and a national-level discussion on the deal's long-term implications.

The committee called on workers, political parties, social organisations, professionals and people from all walks of life to join a mass hunger strike on 12 October in front of the port's One Stop Service Building.

The meeting, chaired by labour leader Tapan Dutta, was held at a local hotel at 11am.

The committee alleged that the agreement was pursued unilaterally, disregarding public opinion and national interests. It said the public remained unaware of the contract terms, financial implications and potential consequences for the economy and national security.

The leaders said an elected government should ensure transparency, accountability and protection of national interests, adding that taking such a major decision without public confidence ran counter to democratic practices.

Chattogram Port handles around 90% of Bangladesh's international trade, making decisions on its major terminals crucial to the country's economic interests and trade security, they said.

The committee called for a comparative assessment of DP World's offer against the port's revenue potential, operational capacity and future development prospects under state management.

The leaders said they did not oppose modern technology, operational expertise or foreign investment in port operations, but stressed that national interests, state capacity, revenue generation, workers' rights and employment, and port security must remain priorities.

Any agreement undermining these interests would be unacceptable to the public, they added.

The committee demanded the full NCT lease agreement be made public and its financial and technical aspects independently assessed before the country commits to a long-term deal.

The leaders said the movement to protect the port was a broader effort to safeguard national assets, economic interests and workers' rights, rather than the cause of any individual or group.

Among those attending the meeting were A M Nazim Uddin, president of the Chattogram divisional committee of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal; Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, its general secretary; Sh M Jamal Uddin, organising secretary of the central committee of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal; Robiul Haque Shimul, joint coordinator of the Chattogram chapter of the Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP); Iftekhar Kamal Khan, joint secretary of the Trade Union Centre (TUC); and Abdul Baten, senior joint secretary of the divisional committee of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal.

The committee reiterated its commitment to a united movement against decisions it considers contrary to national interests and urged the public to join the 12 October programme.