Law enforcement agencies detained Ibrahim Khokon, the coordinator of Chattogram Bondar Rokkha Shongram Porishad, on Monday from the port area. The detention occurred just one day after the withdrawal of a continuous strike at the port.
Aminur Rashid, assistant commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (Media), confirmed that a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) team detained Khokon and later handed him over to the Port Police Station. Rashid noted that further legal steps would be taken following verification.
Khokon, who also serves as the coordinator of the Port Jatiotabadi Sromik Dal, has been a key figure in recent labor unrest.
Alongside Humayun Kabir, he led weeks of protests over a four-point demand, which includes opposition to the leasing out of the New Mooring Container Terminal.
While the movement initially began under the banner of the Port Jatiotabadi Sromik Dal, it later intensified under the Chattogram Bondar Rokkha Shongram Porishad.
The Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) issued a statement strongly condemning the detention. SKOP leaders argued that the move appears to be a deliberate attempt by a “vested group” to destabilize the port situation just as operations had returned to normal following the strike’s withdrawal at 8am on Monday.
They further alleged that the administration is attempting to “unnecessarily heat up the situation” instead of seeking a peaceful resolution.
The port has seen significant disruption recently, beginning with an eight-hour work stoppage for three consecutive days starting 31 January.
A continuous program that began last Tuesday was briefly suspended following a meeting with the shipping adviser on Thursday. However, protesters launched a fresh strike on Sunday, citing punitive actions against them, before finally withdrawing the program on Monday morning.
