NCT deal with UAE's DP World: HC starts hearing on rule over govt move
The High Court today started hearing on the rule that questioned the legality of the government decision to initiate the process for awarding a contract to UAE-based company DP World for container handling operations at New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) in Chattogram.
The HC bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Fatema Anwar also fixed tomorrow for resuming the hearing.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Senior lawyers Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin and Advocate Ahsanul Karim, assisted by Barrister Md Anwar Hossen, appeared for the writ petitioner during the hearing today.
The lawyers told the HC bench that the government has initiated the process for awarding the contract in violation of the Public Private Partnership Act of 2015 and the Government-to-Government Guideline, 2017.
The laws stipulate that a board of governors, led by the prime minister, must be in place to take such a policy decision, but the board of governors is currently absent since there is no parliament now, they argued.
Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman and Additional Attorney General Md Arshadur Rouf were present for the state.
Following the writ petition filed by Bangladesh Jubo Arthanitibid Forum, a philanthropic organisation, another HC bench on July 30 this year issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain why the process for a contract to DP World without holding any open tender should not be declared illegal.
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