NCT lease: Indefinite strike at Chattogram Port from Sunday

After a two-day suspension of their work abstention, the Chattogram Port Protection Struggle Council has announced an indefinite strike at Chattogram Port starting from 8:00 am tomorrow, Sunday.

Two coordinators of the council, Humayun Kabir and Ibrahim Khokon made the announcement at a press conference at the Chattogram Press Club this afternoon. The latest programme also includes a shutdown of operations at the port’s outer anchorage. If the strike takes effect, the entire port will come to a standstill.

The organisation has been protesting against the move to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to DP World. From last Saturday, it observed three days of eight-hour strikes, followed by an indefinite work abstention from Tuesday.

As a result, container transportation at the port was left paralysed. However, following a meeting with the shipping adviser on Thursday, the organisation’s leaders suspended the indefinite strike for two days later that afternoon.

Soon after the suspension of the protest, the Chittagong Port Authority applied to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking an investigation into the movable and immovable assets of 15 protesting employees and action against them. At the same time, it requested the relevant authorities to impose travel bans on those employees. The protesters became angry after learning of these developments.

At the press conference, council coordinator Ibrahim Khokon said, “Although we did not receive a full assurance at the meeting with the adviser on Thursday, we suspended the indefinite strike considering the losses to traders and the clearance of goods for Ramadan.”

“However, within a few hours of the meeting, the port sent letters seeking travel bans and asset investigations against the protesters. Through these steps, the port chairman (Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman) has escalated the situation. In such circumstances, we had no option but to return to an indefinite programme,” he explained.

Ibrahim Khokon placed four demands on behalf of the council. These include a government announcement that the NCT will not be leased to DP World; withdrawal of the port chairman and his being brought under the law for questioning; withdrawal of all punitive measures taken so far against protesting employees; and assurance that no legal action will be taken against the protesters.

Those present at the press conference included council leaders Mohammad Harun, Taslim Hossain, Abul Qasem, Yasin Reza Raju, Zahid Hossain, Harun, Imam Hossain Khoken, Sharif Hossain Bhutto, among others.

Around 78 per cent of the country’s seaborne imports and exports are handled through Chattogram Port. It is effectively the country’s only port for container transportation, accounting for 99 per cent of container traffic. If the port shuts down, container exports come almost to a standstill, stopping the clearance of imported industrial raw materials carried in containers too.