After months of street protests, institutional resistance and a high-stakes legal battle, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) on Thursday formally approved the technical proposal of UAE-based global port operator DP World to run the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) – marking a decisive turning point in one of the most contentious infrastructure decisions in recent years.
The approval came on Thursday within hours of a court verdict that declared the government’s decision to appoint DP World as NCT operator lawful and valid, effectively removing the last hurdle by rejecting petitions that challenged the legality of the move.
Soon after the verdict, the seven-member technical committee of the CPA submitted the evaluation proposal to the port authority, which was promptly approved by CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Moniruzzaman, port sources confirmed.
When contacted, Mahbub Alam Talukder, CPA Member (Finance) and head of the technical committee, confirmed the development to The Times of Bangladesh, saying, “Yes, work is underway on it,” indicating that the process has now moved beyond deliberation into implementation.
According to officials familiar with the evaluation, DP World’s proposal comfortably exceeded CPA’s benchmark requirements.
The technical assessment verified that the New Mooring Container Terminal currently handles over 1.4 million TEUs annually, generates more than Tk1,200 crore in revenue per year, and is already equipped to operate with the existing digital terminal operating system – a key concern raised earlier by critics of foreign operation.
An official involved in the scrutiny process, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Times of Bangladesh that DP World’s operational capacity and global experience were “well above the desired standard” of the port authority.
The approval, however, comes against the backdrop of intense opposition from port workers’ unions, nationalist groups and a section of maritime professionals, who staged repeated demonstrations in Chattogram, warning that handing over the country’s prime terminal to a foreign operator would undermine national interest and local employment.
The controversy soon moved to the courts, where petitions challenged the legality and transparency of the deal—freezing progress for weeks and putting the government under sustained pressure.
Chattogram port workers have announced a two-day strike on Saturday and Sunday, protesting the proposed contract with global port operator DP World. The decision was taken amid growing opposition among workers, who allege that the agreement threatens job security, national interests, and workers’ rights at the country’s premier seaport.
As part of the protest programme, port workers also organised a rally on Thursday evening in front of the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) House. During the demonstration, speakers strongly criticised the move to hand over port operations to a foreign company and demanded the immediate cancellation of the deal.
With the court’s ruling now in favour of the contract and the CPA’s technical clearance secured, DP World’s entry into Chattogram Port appears all but sealed.
