Why the haste to lease out NCT and CCT to foreigners?

The Port Protection Committee has demanded the cancellation of the draft deal to hand over the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and the overflow yard of Chattogram Port to the foreign company DP World on a long term lease. Committee leaders made this demand at a press conference at Chattogram Press Club yesterday. They asked the government why it needs such haste to give strategic assets like NCT and CCT on long term concession leases. They said the government must explain this clearly to the public.

They said the government took charge only a few months ago, and this is an important time of challenge for it. The government is working to rebuild the economy, create jobs, grow industry, and raise investment and productivity. Mr. Fazlul Kabir Mintu, member secretary of the Port Protection Committee, read out a written statement at the press conference.

Meanwhile, preparations are on to lease Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) in the same way as NCT. DP World has lobbied for a long time since the Hasina era to take CCT along with NCT. But CCT will go to another foreign company, Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGTI), based in Saudi Arabia. DP World, based in Dubai, is set to get NCT. The Ministry of Shipping has told the Chattogram Port Authority to start the lease process for CCT.

The Port Protection Committee is running a movement to cancel the deal to lease the working and profitable terminals NCT and CCT and the overflow yard to foreign companies. As part of this movement, it has called on people to make a day long sit in a success at the main gate of the Chattogram Port Building tomorrow, Monday. Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, the labour wing of BNP, has shown support and unity with the programme. Other protesting labour and staff groups, different trade unions, the labour alliance SKOP and professional groups have also backed it.

These groups and alliances said at the press conference that their movement is not against the government. Their aim is to raise public concern on important national issues, protect state assets and national interest, and ensure openness and accountability in decision making. They also asked to meet the Prime Minister on the NCT and CCT lease and proposed a national dialogue. But the government has not replied so far.

They added that the Port Protection Committee has raised its concerns and demands in peaceful and democratic ways for a long time. It has held symbolic hunger strikes, processions and protests. It has also talked with people from different classes and professions.

Mr. Fazlul Kabir Mintu said the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs met a few days ago. It gave policy approval to a draft concession lease deal of 15 years with a foreign company to run and maintain NCT and the overflow yard. He said NCT is one of the main container terminals of the port. Leasing it for 15 years cannot be seen as an ordinary administrative or business decision.

Mr. Mintu said the port made a deal in 2023 with Red Sea Gateway Terminal of Saudi Arabia for 22 years to run Patenga Container Terminal. He said the experience from that deal demands a review before any new long term deal. He also said such deals should not be decided without making them public.

Mr. Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar was present at the press conference. He is the general secretary of the Chattogram divisional committee of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal and a former secretary of the port CBA. Others present were Mr. Tapan Dutta, president of the TUC Chattogram district committee, Mr. S K Khoda Toton, president of Sramik Federation, and Mr. S M Jamal Uddin, organising secretary of the central committee of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal. Mr. Iftekhar Kamal Khan, joint secretary of the TUC Chattogram district committee, also joined.

Mr. Robiul Haque Shimul and Mr. Khorshed Alam, joint coordinators of Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) Chattogram, were present. So were Mr. Md. Harun, president of Jatiyatabadi Dock Sramik Dal, and Mr. Taslim Hossain Selim, its general secretary. Mr. Abdul Baten, senior joint secretary of the Chattogram divisional committee of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, and Mr. Ibrahim Faraji, its organising secretary, also came. Mr. Rizwanur Rahman Khan, joint secretary of BFTUC, Mr. Abdur Rouf Liton, a leader of Jatiyatabadi Bandar Sramik Dal, and Mr. Abu Bakkar Siddiqui, publicity and publication secretary of the divisional committee, were also there.

The Ministry of Shipping has told the port authority to start the process of leasing CCT to RSGTI of Saudi Arabia. The ministry gave this order earlier this week. Senior Assistant Secretary Ms. Farzana Hossain signed it. The letter asked the chairman of Invest Bangladesh Authority (IBA) to start the process to appoint RSGTI as operator of CCT.

The letter says RSGTI is interested in two Chattogram Port Authority projects on a public private partnership (PPP) basis. The two projects are CCT with General Cargo Berth (GCB), and Bay Port Multipurpose Terminal. CCT handles 16 percent of the port’s yearly cargo. The Saudi company already runs Patenga Container Terminal on a 22 year deal. NCT handles a large share of the port’s containers, about 44 percent.

Last year, the government of Dr. Yunus made a sudden and secret deal at a hotel in Dhaka. Through it, the government leased Pangaon Terminal in Narayanganj, which was built with Chattogram Port money, to a foreign company on a long term deal. It also leased Laldia Char, the port’s planned terminal project, to another foreign company. Both deals are long term.

Patenga Terminal was leased earlier. If the decision to hand over NCT and CCT on long term concession leases is carried out soon, the port will have no container facility built with its own profit. Chattogram Port will move backward, handling bags and boxes like in ancient times.