Chittagong Port’s New Mooring Terminal to be Leased to DP World on Thursday

A concession agreement is set to be signed tomorrow, Thursday (October 8), leasing the consistently profitable New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chittagong Port to Dubai-based DP World for the long term.

Under the terms, DP World will secure the NCT concession for at least 15 years, with provisions for extension.
According to government sources, the signing ceremony will take place on Thursday afternoon at the Investment Bangladesh Auditorium in Dhaka. However, the entire process has been shrouded in secrecy, with key terms and conditions remaining undisclosed to the public.

Chittagong Port Authority Chairman SM Moniruzzaman, alongside senior Ministry of Shipping officials, has been driving the swift execution of the agreement.

Despite the rushed timeline, the details of the contract have not been presented to Parliament or made public. Furthermore, the negotiation process over the past two years systematically bypassed standard Chittagong Port Authority board meetings and headquarters.

Earlier, on November 15, 2025, under the Dr. Yunus-led interim government, similar hasty agreements were signed behind closed doors in Dhaka, leasing the Laldiar Char and Pangaon terminals to foreign entities.

Built using port revenues, NCT is Chittagong Port’s most lucrative facility. Situated adjacent to the Naval base, it is currently operated efficiently and transparently by Chittagong Dry Dock Limited, an enterprise of the Bangladesh Navy.

Handing over NCT to a foreign firm leaves Chittagong Port without any self-managed, fully equipped modern terminal.

The initial policy decision to lease out profitable container terminals was taken during 2023–24 under the former Hasina administration, benefiting political oligarchs.

Subsequent efforts to implement the decision continued during Dr. Yunus’s interim administration.
Although public protests forced the interim government to pause the process on February 8, implementation has now resurfaced under the newly elected BNP government.

This move has sparked widespread criticism, renewed demonstrations, and mounting discontent among stakeholders.
During a sit-in demonstration at the main gate of Chittagong Port on October 5, leaders of the Port Protection Committee warned that operations would grind to a halt immediately if the agreement with DP World is signed on October 8, holding the Chairman responsible for any fallout.

Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, Divisional General Secretary of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal and former Port CBA Secretary, cautioned that handing over the New Mooring Terminal poses severe economic and national security risks, citing past controversies surrounding DP World’s operations elsewhere.

He stressed that dock workers, staff, and concerned citizens will not accept the contentious deal.
Bahar added that representatives from SKOP (Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad), the Port Protection Committee, and allied movement groups are meeting this afternoon, Wednesday (October 7), to outline their next steps and action plan.