Shipping adviser denies pressure put on negotiation committee over NCT deal

Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain today denied the allegation of pressure being applied to the negotiation committee members of the port authority to carry out the negotiation.

He rejected the protesters’ allegation of a rushed deal, saying it was not being done hastily but was an old project that began in 2022, while talking to The Daily Star over phone today.

Leaders of Chattogram Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad earlier alleged that the negotiation committee members of the port authority were being kept confined at the BIDA office in Dhaka for over a week and pressured to complete the negotiation giving excessive concession to the DP World.

In response to such allegations, the adviser said, “I do not know whether anyone is being confined. Is it possible? If people were confined, wouldn’t your people [journalists] in Dhaka find out?”

Asked whether the negotiation has reached a final stage, the adviser said, “No, it is yet to be settled.”

He said he was likely to visit Chattogram Port Thursday to hold talks with the port’s protesting workers and employees who enforced indefinite work abstention demanding the cancellation of the government move of leasing NCT to UAE’s DP World.

CPA Director (Admin) Md Omar Faruk confirmed the shipping adviser's visit to the port on Thursday morning.

While talking over the phone, Sakhawat said he would talk to the protesters and listen to what they have to say.

Responding to a question whether the government is taking steps to resolve the stalemate at the port, he stressed the need for solving the crisis otherwise people will suffer during the holy Ramadan.

Mentioning that the protesters are holding a movement by keeping people hostage, Sakhawat said if they will not pay heed, the government has to take other actions.

All operations at the country’s prime seaport remained at standstill since Tuesday morning as the protesting workers enforced indefinite strike after observing partial strike for three days till Monday.