DP World deal raises question of whether BNP came to power by signing an undertaking: Odhikar Committee

Opposing the agreement with UAE-based company DP World to operate Chittagong port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), the Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee (Democratic Rights Committee) said there had been no discussion in parliament on the US trade agreement.

The committee said that, ignoring concerns over threats to the country’s sovereignty, the signing of the agreement with DP World has raised questions in people’s minds about whether the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had come to power by signing an undertaking to an imperialist country.

The Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee made the statement in a press release sent to the media on Thursday afternoon. A 15-year concession agreement for Chittagong port was signed with DP World at the Invest Bangladesh office (formerly BIDA) in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Thursday afternoon.

Police baton-charged a protest organised there by various left-wing parties and organisations, including the CPB and Basad. The committee strongly condemned the attack in its statement.

According to the Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee’s statement, the previous Awami League government and the interim government had also taken initiatives to hand over Chittagong port’s New Mooring Container Terminal to foreign company DP World, despite the terminal being profitable under local operators.

However, the governments backed down in the face of protests by left-wing and democratic forces in the country. The BNP government, which subsequently came to power after winning the election, signed the agreement today, ignoring all opposition.

During the signing of the agreement today, several people were injured when police attacked protesters outside the venue. They included Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee member Seema Dutta, CPB President Kazi Sazzad Zahir Chandan, party leader Moniruzzaman Milon, Basad central committee member Monisha Chakraborty and Bangladesh Chhatra Union leader Asif Zaman, among others.

Alleging that the government has already yielded to pressure from imperialist countries, the Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee said that the failure to discuss the US trade agreement in parliament, the purchase of Boeing aircraft from the United States, the purchase of Airbus aircraft from France, and the signing of the DP World agreement while ignoring the demands of port workers and concerns over threats to the country’s sovereignty has raised questions in people’s minds about whether the BNP had come to power by signing undertakings to these imperialist countries.

It said no such example had been seen before of a government, within six months of coming to power, openly protecting the interests of imperialist countries while ignoring the national interest.

Regarding the role of the current opposition parties, the Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee said, “Those who are in the opposition today and hope to come to power in the future also agree with the government on this issue. These so-called major parties have no stance on the matter, either inside or outside parliament.”

The Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee said handing over the country’s principal seaport, which handles the bulk of its foreign trade, to foreigners posed risks to national security, economic independence and sovereignty. It said handing over important national infrastructure or “strategic assets” to profit-driven groups or foreign interests was a self-destructive decision for the country. The government would be held responsible for the dire consequences in the future, it said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chhatra Union has issued a statement demanding cancellation of the agreement with DP World over the New Mooring Terminal.

In a joint statement on Thursday, a faction’s central president Mahir Shahriar and general secretary Bahauddin Shuvo said, “We urge the government to remember the fate of the then BNP government following the 2006 Phulbari mass movement and cancel all decisions that go against the interests of the country. If the government does not heed this demand of the people, it will be forced to accept the demand through a strong movement.”