Students for Sovereignty demands local control of Chittagong Port

Students for Sovereignty has demanded that Chittagong Port be run under local management and control, even with a subsidy if needed. It says this is necessary to avoid security risks. The group also demanded that the government cancel its policy decision to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) of the port to DP World.

The demand came at a protest rally at Raju Chattar of Dhaka University the day before yesterday in the evening. Students for Sovereignty organized the rally to protest the lease of the port’s NCT to a foreign company. Convener of the group Mr. Muhammad Ziaul Haque spoke at the rally. He said Chittagong Port is a strategic site, so it must be run under local management to avoid security risks, even with a subsidy. He claimed that, as the only main port of the country, it handles about 90 percent of the import and export activity of the whole economy.

Mr. Ziaul Haque said the government gives subsidies in many sectors, including agriculture, energy and education. He said the port is the “lifeline” of the economy, so it should also get a subsidy if needed and stay under fully local management and control. He claimed the port does not actually need any subsidy. He said it has paid more than Tk 4,000 crore into the government treasury this year under local management, and this income grows every year.

He said Bangladesh will lose about 92 million dollars every year if the NCT is leased to DP World. By the group’s count, the NCT earns a net income of about 148 million dollars a year under local management. They say it will fall to about 56.3 million dollars under DP World. Convener of United Young Force Mr. Shakil Mia also spoke at the rally and raised several claims about the management structure of DP World.

He said Indian officials are present among the central policy makers and managers of the company. He claimed this may create a security risk at a strategic site like Chittagong Port. Mr. Shakil Mia also claimed that the activities of DP World in Somalia, Somaliland, Yemen and Eritrea should be a concern for the security of Bangladesh. Spokesperson of Sarbabhoumotto Andolon Mr. Shamim Reza and spokesperson of Janajot Biplobi Mancha Mr. Mozammel Miazi also spoke. Leaders and activists of the organizations were present at the rally.