Bondar Rokkha Committee, Chattogram, has called for a protest march towards Chattogram Port on 14 September to oppose any move to hand over key port facilities, including the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT), to domestic or foreign operators.
The committee made the call at a meeting held at a restaurant in Chattogram on Thursday 10 September, urging port workers, businesspeople, professionals, political and social organisations, labour leaders and citizens from all walks of life to join the programme.
The meeting, chaired by committee member Tapan Dutta and moderated by Member Secretary Fazlul Kabir Mintu, adopted a series of programmes and organisational measures to ensure the success of the 14 September protest.
The participants also called for turning the issue into a broader movement under the slogan “Save the Port, Save the Country.”
Among those who addressed the meeting were Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, general secretary of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal’s Chattogram Divisional Committee and former general secretary of Chattogram Port CBA; Shafiqul Islam, vice-president of the divisional committee; Iftekhar Kamal Khan, joint secretary of the TUC Chattogram District Committee; Abdul Baten, senior joint secretary of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal’s Chattogram Divisional Committee; and Taslim Hossain Selim, general secretary of the Jatiyatabadi Dock Sramik Dal.
The committee leaders strongly criticised the recent statement by the shipping minister that the process of handing over the NCT to DP World had reached its final stage.
They argued that Chattogram Port is far more than a commercial facility, as it serves as the principal gateway for Bangladesh’s foreign trade and is closely linked to the country’s economy and national interests.
The speakers said any decision to hand over a strategic terminal to a foreign operator for long-term management must first be assessed from the perspective of national interests, economic costs and benefits, employment, revenue generation and the country’s control over its key maritime infrastructure.
They warned that an agreement should not be signed merely in the name of increasing port capacity or revenue if its provisions could create risks for Bangladesh’s economic or strategic interests in the future.
“Foreign investment or operational expertise should not come at the cost of national interests,” the speakers said, stressing that the commercial interests of foreign companies must not be placed above those of Bangladesh.
They also demanded that the views of port users, labour organisations, business leaders, professionals and maritime and logistics experts be considered before taking any decision on the operation and management of the NCT.
The committee further called for transparency over the proposed agreement, including its terms and conditions, financial implications, revenue-sharing arrangements and potential impact on national interests.
According to the speakers, such information should be made public before any final decision is taken so that stakeholders and citizens can assess whether the proposed arrangement serves the country’s long-term interests.
They said the same principle should apply to any other vital facility of Chattogram Port, regardless of whether the proposed operator is a domestic or foreign entity.
The leaders urged residents of Chattogram as well as workers, businesspeople, professionals and representatives of political, social and labour organisations to participate in the September 14 protest march.
They said Chattogram Port handles the overwhelming majority of Bangladesh’s seaborne trade and therefore decisions concerning its terminals have implications far beyond the port itself.
The Bondar Rokkha Committee leaders said the future management of strategic port facilities must be determined through a transparent and accountable process, with national interests, stakeholder participation and long-term economic benefits given priority.
