Work stoppage at Chittagong Port: Eerie silence at 3 terminals, vessel movement halted

An eerie silence has descended on three major terminals of Chittagong Port as a continuous work stoppage entered its second day on Wednesday, bringing container handling and vessel movement to a complete halt.

Gate No. 4 of the port, normally crowded with long queues of trucks carrying export and import containers, was almost deserted on Wednesday. No cargo vehicles were seen in the surrounding area. Both sides of the gate remained closed, with one iron shutter briefly opened only to allow private vehicles to enter or exit.

The same situation prevailed at other port gates. Inside the port, three terminals stretching nearly four kilometres appeared completely inactive when viewed from the adjacent flyover.

No containers were being loaded or unloaded. Eleven vessels berthed at the jetties remained idle with their cranes folded, while gantry crane booms used for container handling were also retracted.

Prothom Alo photojournalist Sowrav Das, who visited the port area for nearly two hours from 11:00 am on Wednesday, witnessed the unprecedented shutdown. Such a work stoppage by port workers and employees has not been seen in the last 19 years, since 2007.

The strike began at 8:00 am on Tuesday in protest against the decision to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to UAE-based port operator DP World. Later in the afternoon, leaders of the Chittagong Port Protection Struggle Council announced that the 24-hour strike would be converted into an indefinite work stoppage. Prior to this, workers had observed eight-hour strikes for three consecutive days starting Saturday.

The General Cargo Berth (GCB), Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT), and New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) together handle the vast majority of container traffic at the port.

According to figures from the last fiscal year, 97 per cent of all import-export containers were handled through these three terminals. The remaining three per cent were handled at the RSGT Chittagong terminal, operated by Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Gateway, which took over operations in 2024.

However, operations at the RSGT terminal in Patenga have not been affected by the strike. The terminal continues to function under its own management on the banks of the Karnaphuli River. One vessel departed the terminal on Tuesday, and another is scheduled to berth on Wednesday. Similarly, cargo from open bulk vessels at the outer anchorage is being transferred to lighter vessels and transported via river routes.

Due to resistance from protesters, no vessels departed from the port’s three main terminals on Tuesday, nor were any vessels allowed to berth. After the morning high tide on Wednesday, no vessel movement was recorded until noon.

At present, 10 container vessels and three non-container cargo vessels remain stranded at the jetties. Along with the suspension of loading and unloading, no export containers have entered the port and no import cargo has been released. The paralysis at the three main terminals has also prevented new vessels from berthing.

Ibrahim Khokon, coordinator of the Chittagong Port Protection Struggle Council, told Prothom Alo on Wednesday that the protest aims to force the government to withdraw from the process of leasing the NCT.

“Workers and employees are continuing the movement spontaneously, but there has been no initiative from the government to resolve the issue. As a result, the programme will continue,” he said.

The process of handing over the NCT to DP World under a government-to-government (G2G) public-private partnership (PPP) framework began during the previous Awami League government. After the interim government took office and resumed the process, port workers launched the protest.

Initially limited to rallies and demonstrations, the movement later expanded with participation from the Nationalist Port Workers’ Union, the Democratic Rights Committee, and other professional and political groups. As the leasing process entered its final stage, the Nationalist Port Workers’ union intensified the movement, which is now being conducted under the banner of the Chittagong Port Protection Struggle Council.

The New Mooring Container Terminal, the largest terminal at Chittagong Port, was constructed in 2007. The port authority has invested Tk 27.12 billion in phases to build the terminal and install equipment. Most of the port’s import-export container traffic passes through this terminal.

Currently, the terminal is being operated by the Bangladesh Navy-run Chittagong Dry Dock Limited, which will continue operations until the handover to a foreign operator.

Under the plan, the terminal will be leased to DP World for 15 years. If the lease proceeds, DP World will collect all terminal charges, while negotiations continue over how much the company will pay the port authority per container.

These negotiations are taking place at the office of the Public-Private Partnership Authority in Dhaka, though no final decision has yet been disclosed.

Despite the leasing process nearing completion and the ongoing indefinite work stoppage disrupting import-export trade, no initiative has been taken by the government to resolve the crisis or engage in dialogue with the protesters.

Instead, a series of transfer orders involving port employees has further intensified the agitation.