Chittagong Port: Deadlock as indefinite work stoppage called

Workers and employees at Chittagong Port have called an indefinite work stoppage. The programme has been announced in protest against the decision to lease the port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to UAE-based company DP World.

Mohammad Humayun Kabir and Ibrahim Khokon, coordinators of the Chattogram Bandar Rakkha Sangram Parishad, announced the work stopgap at a press briefing beside the port building at around 3:00 pm today, Tuesday during by.

After observing an eight-hour work stoppage for three consecutive days since Saturday, a 24-hour work stoppage began at 8:00 am today. Before that programme ended, the protesters announced an indefinite work stoppage, further prolonging the ongoing deadlock.

At the press briefing, Mohammad Humayun Kabir said, “Considering the holy Shab-e-Barat, we were thinking of relaxing the programme. But today, senior officials including the Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, BIDA Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury, and National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman were present at the BIDA office in Dhaka to pressure the negotiation committee.

So far, discussions were focused on per-container charges. Now discussions are being held on revenue sharing. If this happens, the port will turn into a loss-making institution within a very short time. This is a suicidal decision.”

Another coordinator, Ibrahim Khokon, said, “Our officials are being held in Dhaka and attempts are being made to force them to sign the agreement. In this situation, there is no scope to relax the programme. Therefore, we have decided that the movement will continue indefinitely.”

On the fourth day of the work stoppage, from 8:00 am today, Chittagong Port effectively came to a standstill. Protesters stopped vessel berthing and departure operations at the port’s main jetty. As a result, six vessels could not be berthed or departed from the main jetty today. However, three vessels were berthed and departed at the RSGT terminal in Patenga and at two specialised jetties.

So far, although container and cargo loading, unloading, and clearance operations had been suspended due to the work stoppage, vessel movement had not been obstructed. Today, for the first time, that activity was also stopped, further intensifying the deadlock at the port.

Port officials said that pilots handle vessel berthing and departure at the jetty. For this, tugboats and other necessary auxiliary vessels are required, which are controlled from the dock office.

Port sources said that workers and employees began protests at the dock office around 10:00 am today. They forced staff out of the office and locked it from outside, making it impossible to deploy any vessels to transport pilots.

From 10:00 am to 2:30 pm today, during the high-tide, six vessels were scheduled to be berthed or to depart from the General Cargo Berth (GCB), Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT), and New Mooring Container Terminal. Due to the agitation, none of the scheduled vessels could be berthed or departed.