Port Protection body announce protest rally for 27 Sep

The Chattogram Port Protection Movement Committee has announced a rally for 27 September, demanding an end to the ongoing process to lease Chattogram Port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based DP World.

The announcement came at a human chain organised in the city on Tuesday afternoon to press home their four-point demand.

The committee will hold the rally at 3pm from Gate No.3 in Fakirhat to the port’s One Stop Centre.
Committee leaders alleged that attempts were being made to hand over the profitable terminal to the foreign company without any valid justification.

Committee Joint Coordinator Mohammad Ibrahim Khokon said the port chairman’s claims that the terminal’s equipment had become obsolete or was losing operational capacity were “deliberate and imaginary”.

The committee would not allow any attempt to harm the port’s interests through what it described as a conspiracy, he said.

Committee Joint Coordinator Humyun Kabir conducted the programme, while Merchant Workers Union President Harunur Rashid and Chattogram Port Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal leader Mozaher Hossain Shawkat, among others, addressed it.

Earlier on Saturday, BNP-affiliated labour leaders and the committee issued a two-day ultimatum at a press conference to halt the NCT leasing process.

Their four-point demands also include withdrawing cases filed against 15 employees and movement leaders, removing officials involved in negotiations with DP World, and resuming recruitment to fill vacant posts at the port.