DP World Set to Take Over Operations at Chittagong Port

The New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) of Chittagong Port is finally being leased out to a foreign operator on a long-term basis. A concession agreement is set to be signed today, Thursday, with the Dubai-based company DP World (United Arab Emirates). The signing ceremony has been arranged by the government at the Investment Bangladesh auditorium in Dhaka this afternoon.

The preparation process has been kept strictly confidential, with key terms and conditions hidden from the public. Under this concession, DP World will acquire the terminal for at least 15 years, with provisions for extensions.

NCT is Chittagong Port’s largest container terminal, built and equipped with modern heavy machinery using the port’s own revenue. Geographically, it is located adjacent to the Bangladesh Navy’s main base and major national oil installations, making it highly sensitive from a security perspective. Since July 7, 2024, the terminal has been operated efficiently by Chittagong Dry Dock Limited, an enterprise managed by the Navy. Protests demanding the cancellation of handing over this profitable and operational terminal to a foreign entity have been ongoing since the Sheikh Hasina administration.

Trade unions and civic platforms including the Port Protection Committee Chittagong, Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP), and the BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, strongly condemned the move. Union leaders stated that bypassing public opinion to hand over vital national assets harms sovereignty and will be remembered in history as a “black deal.”

Sources indicate that top officials from the Ministry of Shipping and Chittagong Port Authority Chairman SM Moniruzzaman expedited the signing process. Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam and Investment Bangladesh Chairman Ashik Chowdhury coordinated the final preparations. Neither the terms of the concession nor its financial implications were made public or placed before parliament. The signing ceremony is scheduled for 3:00 PM, with the Shipping Minister, the Investment Bangladesh Chairman, and DP World Board of Directors Chairman Essa Kazim in attendance.

Earlier, on November 17, 2025, during the interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, long-term concession agreements were signed secretly at a Dhaka hotel for the planned Laldia Char and Pangaon terminals. Following that continuity, the operational NCT is now being handed over, which critics claim leaves the port without any fully self-managed, modern container terminal.

The plan to lease profitable terminals out began under Sheikh Hasina in 2023–24. Following the regime’s collapse, efforts continued under the interim administration, though a planned signing was temporarily halted on February 8 amid heavy protests. Ultimately, the elected government has carried forward the execution of the deal. Protests have continued uninterrupted, including a sit-in demonstration held outside Chittagong Port on October 5.

Shipping experts and economists have warned three consecutive administrations (Ms. Hasina, Dr. Yunus, and the current BNP government) about the lack of transparency surrounding the NCT deal. They highlighted that handing over an already functioning, high-earning facility creates controversy and deepens suspicion, especially given international scrutiny surrounding DP World’s past operations elsewhere.

Engineer Delwar Majumder, convener of the Port Protection Committee Chittagong, and Member Secretary Fazlul Kabir Mintu stated that an elected government has no mandate to unilaterally sign away state assets while concealing financial liabilities, operational control, and labor rights. They demanded an immediate halt to the process, full disclosure of terms, and consultations with stakeholders, warning of wider civil movements if public concerns are ignored.

SKOP leaders in Chittagong echoed these demands, emphasizing that foreign leasing of the country’s most vital economic gateway cannot be justified merely by labeling it as foreign investment. The statement was endorsed by labor leaders including Md. Khorshed Alam, Rabiul Haque Shimul, Md. Idris Miah, Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, Tapan Dutta, and others.

Port Authority Issues Strict KPI Security Guidelines

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has issued a directive prohibiting unauthorized photography, videography, sketching, and the gathering or dissemination of visual information regarding port security, infrastructure, access control, surveillance, communications, and cargo operations.

In a press release signed by Port Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim, the CPA emphasized that Chittagong Port is a Key Point Installation (KPI Class-A) and an international gateway complying with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

Under Section 12 of the Chittagong Port Authority Act 2022 and provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1923, all port areas and installations are designated protected zones. The authority warned that unauthorized collection or online circulation of sensitive operational and layout details on social media or news platforms is illegal and strictly punishable by law.