After a 24-hour strike to protest the government's decision to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based operator DP World, the Chattogram port has been paralysed for an indefinite period.
The 24-hour strike, which began at 8am on Tuesday, has turned into an indefinite strike from Wednesday morning, completely shutting down all activities at the port.
Ships were seen lying idle at the jetty, and all equipment for loading and unloading goods, including gantry cranes, was also shut down. Although several jetties were empty, no new ships could dock due to the strike. Port sources said that as a result, the number of ships waiting at the outer anchorages has increased to 96.
Thousands of heavy vehicles are stranded inside and outside the port area due to the suspension of goods deliveries. To avoid traffic congestion, the authorities are not allowing any new vehicles to enter.
The workers have been on strike for 8 hours for three consecutive days since last Saturday. Then, a 24-hour all-out strike began on Tuesday morning, which has now turned into an indefinite movement.
Thousands of trucks coming to unload imported goods and ship exported goods are stuck in this deadlock. Importers say that due to the delay in unloading the goods, they are having to pay additional store rent or fees. On the other hand, exporters are in fear of order cancellation and major financial losses due to not being able to ship the goods on time.
In addition, there is a fear of product shortage and price increase in the market as many containers carrying consumer goods are stuck before Ramadan. Business leaders and economists have warned that this unprecedented crisis may intensify due to the stubborn stance of the port authorities and labor unions on the NCT issue, which could cause extreme disaster to the country's economy.
Coordinators of the Chattogram Port Protection Sangram Oikya Parishad have claimed that the workers and employees are spontaneously participating in this program. They allege that attempts are being made to pressure port officials into signing the agreement by detaining them at the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) office in Dhaka.
The leaders have made it clear that the strike will continue indefinitely until the government cancels the 'anti-national' decision to lease the NCT.
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