Workers protest move to lease NCT and Laldia Char to foreign firms
Handing over Ctg port assets to foreigners is a betrayal to the nation, say workers’ leaders at a Ctg rally
Workers' organisations in Chattogram denounced reported government moves to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based DP World and Laldia Char to global shipping giant Maersk.
At a protest rally today (22 September), organised by the Chattogram Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) on the premises of Multi-Purpose Berth (MPB) at Ctg Port, leaders of the organisation called the plan to lease out two major port assets to foreign companies, a "betrayal to the nation."
They urged the government to scrap the reported agreements and prioritise local capacity-building instead.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
They warned that leasing Laldiar Char and the NCT to multinational firms like DP World and Maersk could threaten national interests and jeopardise thousands of jobs.
Mohammad Harun, president of the Jatiyatabadi Bandar Sramik Dal, chaired the progamme.
AM Nazim Uddin, divisional president of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal; Tapan Dutta, president of the Trade Union Centre's Chattogram chapter; Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, divisional general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal; Zahid Uddin Shahin, general secretary of Bangladesh Jatiya Sramik Federation's Chattogram district, also spoke at the rally, according to a press release.
Addressing the rally, SKOP leaders said leasing agreements with foreign companies prioritise profit over the welfare of workers, local industries, and the public. "These multinationals have no accountability to workers, national assets, or public interest," said AM Nazim Uddin, a key organiser.
Protesters accused the government of pursuing such deals amid economic pressures, calling it an attack on domestic labour, industry, and sovereignty. They warned that failure to halt the plans could spark a nationwide workers' movement.
Workers' leaders also alleged that port authorities were intimidating employees to suppress dissent, urging officials to stop such tactics or face intensified agitation.
The rally concluded with demands: cancel all leasing processes of NCT and Laldiar Char to foreign companies, safeguard workers' jobs and rights, and ensure full transparency in decisions involving strategic national assets.
SKOP leaders called on citizens, political parties, professionals, and civil society to unite across party lines in defense of the country's economic sovereignty.
