Call for blockade to protect Chattogram Port

The Sramik Karmachar Oikya Parishad (SCOP) has announced a blockade at all port entrances starting Wednesday (November 26) to demand the cancellation of the decision to lease various Chattogram Port facilities to foreign entities.

Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, the general secretary of the divisional labor party and former general secretary of the Port CBA, revealed this initiative during the SCOP labor convention on Saturday (November 22) afternoon. Leaders from both national and local labor organizations addressed the day-long convention held at the 'July Revolution Memorial Hall' of the Chattogram Press Club.

It is important to highlight that on November 17, the government entered into a 33-year agreement with a Danish firm, APM Terminals, to construct and manage a terminal at Laldia Char in Chattogram Port. This agreement includes a provision for a 15-year extension. Additionally, on the same day, a contract was signed with a Swiss company to operate the Pangaon Naval Terminal in Keraniganj for 22 years. Furthermore, the government has decided to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) of the port to a foreign company.

During a convention held as part of the ongoing protest against the government's actions concerning the port, Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar stated, "The honorable judges of the High Court have made it clear that the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) issue cannot progress any further. However, the government is ignoring the High Court's ruling. We have learned that a meeting is scheduled in Dhaka on November 25, 26, and 27 to finalize an agreement with DP World regarding the New Mooring Container Terminal. Reports suggest that we will conduct a vetting process on the 26th and sign the agreement on the 27th." We, the leaders of Chattogram, convened. We have resolved that on the 26th of November, from 10 am to 1 pm, there will be a total blockade at the three entry points of Chattogram port - Agrabad, Boropole, and Mile Mata. I call upon all workers and employees to come together, take to the streets, and conduct a comprehensive blockade to oppose this scheme to transfer the port to foreign interests.

Additionally, a series of protests has been organized in every district to demand the enforcement of the 9-point SCOPE aimed at safeguarding the port and securing workers’ rights.

During his address as the chief guest at the convention, Chairman of the Labor Reform Commission Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed stated, 'We need to formulate a national manifesto concerning the privatization of Chattogram Port, the leasing and selling of jute mills, the closure of government factories, and various demands for workers’ rights – all of these issues. Furthermore, business leaders must also participate in this movement regarding Chattogram Port. They share the responsibility of protecting the port. When it comes to street movements, it is the workers' duty, and once the movement concludes, it is the businessmen's responsibility to engage in commerce - this is non-negotiable.'

He continued, 'I urge that after the blockade on the 26th, we all gather in Dhaka. Business leaders must also attend. We must persist in our struggle. All labor organizations need to unite and operate under a single umbrella. I commend the initiative taken by SCOP. It is essential that everyone reaches a consensus on all matters to secure workers' rights and sustain the long-term struggle.

The convention was presided over by Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, the General Secretary of the Chattogram Divisional Workers' Party and former General Secretary of Bandar CBA. It also featured speeches from several notable figures, including Abdul Kader Howlader, the Joint Coordinator of SCOPE and President of the National Workers' Alliance of Bangladesh; Mezbah Uddin Ahmed, the General Secretary of the National Workers' Alliance; Anwar Hossain, the President of the National Workers' Alliance; Saifuzzaman Badsha, the President of the National Workers' Alliance-Bangladesh; Tapan Dutta, a Member of the Labor Reform Commission and Vice-President of the Bangladesh Trade Union Center; Ahsan Habib Bulbul, the Joint Coordinator of SCOPE and General Secretary of the Socialist Workers' Front; AAM Fayez Hossain, the General Secretary of the Bangladesh Workers' Federation; and Manjurul Islam Manju, the Publicity and Publication Secretary of the National Workers' Alliance.