Ctg port grinds to a halt as workers strike over NCT lease

Bangladesh's main port in Chattogram has been at a complete standstill for 28 hours, due to an indefinite workers' strike over lease out of a key terminal to UAE-based DP World.

All operations, including cargo delivery from the yards, vessel movement to and from the port, and loading and unloading at the jetties, remained entirely suspended during this period.

Chattogram Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad Coordinator Md Humayun Kabir said senior government officials are currently trying to complete the deal signing in a speedy manner, in violation of the Supreme Court’s latest direction.

Talking to the journalists this noon, Kabir mentioned that the Supreme Court judge gave an observation yesterday that the government cannot proceed with signing the contract until the filing of an appeal petition against the High Court verdict on this issue.

“But, last night, senior officials, including the Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy for International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, BIDA Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, and National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, and Port Chairman SM Moniruzzaman, forcefully took signatures of port officials who are members of the contract negotiation committee, keeping them confined in the PPPA office,” he said

Humayun Kabir alleged that the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) chairman is holding the CPA Board meeting in the PPA office in Dhaka today.

In this state, they have no alternative but to continue with the movement, said Humayun Kabir, who vowed to continue strike until the government cancels the deal signing procedure.

The strike intensified today, leaving the port's jetties and yards deserted, with no movement of people or vehicles and all sheds and offices remaining closed.

Although six vessels were scheduled to depart and eight others set to arrive from the outer anchorage during the morning tide today, there was no vessel movement.

Officials of different shipping agents and feeder operators said the authority attempted to initiate the pilotage process yesterday morning, which went largely in vain due to protesters' resistance.

However, that could not be replicated today as the protesters had taken position at the designated jetty since morning and barred anchoring of requisite logistics crafts such as tugboats, pilot boats, and mooring boats.

All pilots of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) deployed for manoeuvring the vessels remained on standby at the control room since the high tide commenced at 10:00am, but could not initiate the process, said sources.

No import, export, or empty containers could be transported between the port and the 19 private inland container depots (ICD) since yesterday morning, said Md Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary general of Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA).

The delivery points at the port yards remained deserted with no workers and employees in attendance.

The port yards and the ICDs are already experiencing a pileup of import and export containers due to the cessation of import release and export shipment operations.

"It is completely unprecedented that the port remained at complete shutdown," said Fazley Ekram Chowdhury, president of the Berth Operators, Ship-Handling Operators, and Terminal Operators Owners Association.

Noting that the collapse in port operations is detrimental to the country's economy, Chowdhury urged all parties to find a solution to the crisis through negotiation for the sake of the country's interest.

However, only two oil tankers have taken berth with special arrangement with the help of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation at the very last hour of the tide this afternoon, a CPA source said.