Shipping Minister’s ‘Stagnation’ Remark on Chittagong Port is Baseless: Labour Leader

Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, a prominent port labour leader, general secretary of the Chittagong divisional unit of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal and former secretary of the port CBA, has rejected as baseless and unfounded Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam’s claim that Chittagong Port’s management had been “at a standstill” and that the way had been opened to bring in foreign companies to overcome the situation.

In a statement on Friday (September 25), Mr. Nurullah Bahar said the shipping minister was seeking a baseless pretext to implement what he described as an unreasonable agenda of handing over the port’s profitable and sensitive New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) to foreign companies under long-term lease agreements.

He said Chittagong Port had neither been nor was currently facing any disruption, thanks to the relentless hard work and sincere efforts of its workers, employees and officials. Rather, the port has surpassed its previous records in container and general cargo handling every year and earned record profits annually, largely due to the contributions of its workers and employees.

He said workers and employees had kept port operations running despite marine warning signals and adverse weather conditions, adding that operations had not stopped even for an hour.

Mr. Nurullah Bahar said the shipping minister’s remarks had disregarded the continuous hard work, sincere efforts and contributions of the port’s workers, employees and officials.

Addressing the shipping minister and a few officials whom he described as overenthusiastic, the labour leader said that at a time when various issues were being used to create instability in the country, it was essential to refrain from handing over NCT, CCT or any other facility at Chittagong Port to DP World or any other foreign company under a lease agreement. He also called for the immediate cancellation of the decision taken during the Hasina government.

He said no important, sensitive and profitable container facility at Chittagong Port, the “heart of the country’s economy,” could be handed over to a foreign company.

“The ongoing united movement against this will be intensified,” he said, expressing hope that the concerned authorities would act wisely before then.

Mr. Nurullah Bahar, also a leader of the Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Jote and former secretary of the port CBA, further said the shipping minister’s comment that Chittagong Port’s operations had become stagnant was “in no way correct.” He said the port had set records in cargo handling and revenue and was being operated efficiently using local technology and skilled manpower.

Mr. Nurullah Bahar also opposed the shipping minister’s remarks regarding leasing Chittagong Port’s container terminals to foreign companies. He said the initiative to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) was a decision taken by the previous government. The interim government later took initiatives in this regard as well, but the move was not implemented due to a united movement by workers, employees and the public.

He urged the current government to refrain from leasing any container terminal at Chittagong Port to a foreign institution, saying workers and employees would not accept any decision contrary to the public interest.

Meanwhile, on Thursday (September 24), Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam said at an event at the Marine Academy in Chittagong that Chittagong Port’s management had been “at a standstill” and that the way had been opened to bring in foreign companies to overcome the stagnation. He further said that ship, container and cargo management at the port had been “stagnant” and was not operating as required.

Meanwhile, the Bandar Rokkha Committee Chittagong has announced a daylong sit-in in front of the Chittagong Port Building on October 5, demanding cancellation of the decision to lease the port’s important and sensitive NCT and CCT facilities to foreign companies. The committee has already carried out various programmes as part of its ongoing movement, including protest processions, torch processions, rallies, blockades, demonstrations, marches towards the port and submission of a memorandum to the prime minister.