The Chattogram Port Protection Council has announced an indefinite strike at the port. The declaration was made at a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
The council’s coordinator, Ibrahim Khokon, came up with the announcement around 3 pm.
Meanwhile, import and export activities at the port have virtually come to a standstill since the protest began on 31 January. Several vessels have reportedly left the port without loading export containers due to disruptions in operations.
Delivery of imported goods has also been severely affected, while trucks carrying export cargo from 19 private inland container depots (ICDs) are not entering the port premises.
An eight‑hour work stoppage had been observed daily since 31 January in protest against the process of leasing the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai‑based DP World. Last Monday, the strike was extended to 24 hours.
During Tuesday’s briefing, the council members escalated the protest by announcing the indefinite strike.
While addressing journalists, Khokon alleged that the government had attempted to weaken the movement by detaining several leaders and activists in Dhaka.
He said, “Under these circumstances, there is no scope to relax or postpone our programme. After discussion, we have decided to announce a continuous work stoppage at the port.”
Humayun Kabir, another coordinator of the council, also spoke at the briefing.
