Operations at the nation’s premier seaport came to a total standstill today (February 4) as port workers converted their 24-hour work stoppage into an indefinite strike. The escalation follows the government's decision to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to the UAE-based DP World.
The strike, which began on Saturday with eight-hour shifts, has now crippled the port. Since 8:00 am Tuesday, all container handling, cargo delivery, and vessel berthing have ceased. Currently, 96 ships are stranded at the outer anchorage, while thousands of cargo-laden trucks remain stuck outside the port gates.
Port workers, under the banner of the Chattogram Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad, are demanding the immediate cancellation of the lease. They allege that handing over the terminal to a foreign firm without an open bidding process threatens national interest and sovereignty. Coordinators of the movement also claimed that senior port officials are being pressured in Dhaka to finalize the deal despite widespread opposition.
The deadlock has sparked severe anxiety among businesses. With Ramadan approaching, importers warned that the backlog of essential commodities could lead to market shortages and price hikes. "Exporters are facing order cancellations, and importers are racking up massive storage rents," said one industry leader, urging immediate government intervention.
The unrest spread to the capital today as the group "Students For Sovereignty" staged a rally in front of the PPP Authority office in Agargaon. Protesters described the move to foreign management as "self-destructive" and criticized the "African model" of concession, which they claim would drain foreign reserves and weaken domestic control.
While the government maintains that foreign operators will modernize port efficiency, protesters point to the high profitability of the terminal under its current domestic management by the Bangladesh Navy-affiliated Chittagong Dry Dock Limited.
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