The ‘Port Protection Council’ has suspended its ongoing strike at Chattogram Port for 48 hours following a meeting with Shipping Advisor M Sakhawat Hossain.
The suspension was announced on Thursday afternoon by council coordinator Md. Humayun Kabir. The pause, effective from 5:00 PM Thursday, covers Friday and Saturday.
"Considering the upcoming month of Ramadan and the advisor's assurances, we are pausing our program for two days," Kabir told reporters. He warned, however, that the strike would resume on Sunday if no concrete decision is reached by Saturday.
Port workers and employees have been striking since last Saturday to protest the government's decision to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to the UAE-based firm, DP World. What began as a protest by the Port Nationalist Workers' Party has since evolved into a broader movement under the Chattogram Port Protection Struggle Council.
The continuous strike since Tuesday has caused a significant deadlock at the country’s primary gateway for maritime trade.
Shipping Advisor M Sakhawat Hossain arrived at the port on Thursday morning amidst protests at Gate No. 4. During a closed-door meeting with council representatives, the advisor reportedly promised to discuss the workers' demands with the high-ups of the government.
"The advisor stated he would review our demands positively," Kabir noted. "He mentioned he would consult with the government and get back to us within two days."
Beyond the DP World lease issue, the council is demanding the withdrawal of administrative actions taken against employees involved in the movement.
"Our proposal is clear: all measures against protesting staff must be dropped, and they must be reinstated to their positions," said Ibrahim Khokon, another council coordinator.
He added that while the advisor claimed he does not have the sole authority to cancel the NCT lease agreement, he committed to acting as a mediator with the state.
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