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[Saif]

Ctg port workers confront shipping adviser over DP World deal

Shipping adviser urges protesting port workers to hold talks, assuring them their concerns would be heard

www.thedailystar.net

Ctg port workers confront shipping adviser over DP World deal

Shipping adviser urges protesting port workers to hold talks, assuring them their concerns would be heard

Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Photo: Dwaipayan Barua

Agitating workers and employees of Chattogram port today staged demonstrations in front of Shipping Adviser Brig Gen Sakhawat Hussain, protesting the government’s move to appoint a foreign operator at the port’s largest facility, the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT).

The adviser reached Chattogram in the morning to hold separate meetings with port officials, law enforcement agencies and protesting workers amid the ongoing stalemate over the proposed deal with UAE-based firm DP World.

While travelling from Chattogram airport to the port’s administrative building via the jetty terminal, the adviser was forced to get out of his vehicle on the road in front of the administrative building gate after encountering protesters outside Port Gate No. 4 around 10:30am.

The demonstrators surrounded him, chanting slogans against DP World, the proposed agreement and senior officials of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), including its chairman.

Urging the protesters to engage in dialogue, Sakhawat said he had been working for the country for the past one and a half years and had never acted against national interests even not during his three-year posting in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

Md Ibrahim Khokan, coordinator of Chattogram Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad, told the adviser that port workers were not acting against the state.

“We own the Chattogram port. I have served here for 32 years. We do not want any mafia, including DP World, to operate this port,” he said.

Khokan alleged that CPA Chairman SM Moniruzzaman had taken punitive measures against protest leaders over the past year and a half and demanded his removal.

The adviser urged the protesters to sit for talks inside a meeting room instead of blocking the road and assured them that he would listen to their concerns.

The demonstrators allowed him to proceed after he said he would meet them without the CPA chairman present.

Sakhawat asked them to sit in the meeting at the port’s conference room at noon after the emergency meeting with senior officials and department heads of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).

All operations at Chattogram Port remain suspended as the indefinite work abstention by workers and employees, enforced on Tuesday, continues.

The strike followed an eight-hour stoppage observed from Saturday to Monday by workers and employees protesting against the proposed lease of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based DP World. Container and cargo handling at the port’s jetties, deliveries from the yards, and vessel movements have come to a complete standstill.​

 

[Saif]

Strikers give two-day break for urgent export-import delivery

Protesters at Chattogram seaport gave a two-day break in their strike for urgent export-import delivery following government intervention on Thursday, after disruption of Bangladesh's external trade for six days. Labour leaders at Chattogram Port announced the Friday-Saturday suspension of t

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

BUSINESSES URGE END TO TRADE-DISRUPTING CTG SEAPORT DEADLOCK
Strikers give two-day break for urgent export-import delivery
Port workers threaten to resume duty abstention from Sunday if NCT deal not rescinded by then

FE REPORT
Published :
Feb 06, 2026 00:49
Updated :
Feb 06, 2026 00:49

Workers seen demonstrating as Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain arrived at the Chittagong Port Thursday morning to find a solution to the ongoing stalemate over government move to appoint DP World as operator of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT). — FE photo

Protesters at Chattogram seaport gave a two-day break in their strike for urgent export-import delivery following government intervention on Thursday, after disruption of Bangladesh's external trade for six days.


Labour leaders at Chattogram Port announced the Friday-Saturday suspension of the strike following negotiations with Shipping Adviser Brig-General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, but vowed to resume work abstention thereafter if their demand for rescinding a deal with a foreign firm was not met.

Earlier in the day, the adviser of the interim government faced protest by workers when he visited the Bandar Bhaban at the port to assess the situation.

Chattogram Port worker leaders later agreed to hold talks with the adviser to find a resolution.

As agreed, the operational activities at the country's prime port will resume today (Friday) after long six days' disruption that triggered an outcry from trade bodies.

The announcement was made by Humayun Kabir and Ibrahim Khokon, coordinators of the Bandar Rokkha Sangram Oikya Parishad, at a press conference at the Bandar Bhaban in the afternoon.

However, the trade unionists warned that they would return to protest from Sunday if the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) agreement is not done away with.


Ibrahim Khokon said the labour leaders presented four demands during the meeting, including the cancellation of the NCT agreement.

The shipping adviser assured them that he would discuss the matter with the chief adviser and provide a response within two days, he added.

"Our other demands were the withdrawal of transfer orders for employees, no legal action against workers who led the movement, and removal of the port authority chairman," Khokon said.

He further said the adviser accepted two of the demands and promised to consider the issue of the chairman's removal.

Humayun Kabir said the strike was postponed out of respect for the holy month of Ramadan and based on assurances from the adviser.

"The government has two days to respond regarding the NCT agreement. If no action is taken, the strike will resume," he told reporters.

Urging port workers to remain patient, Humayun Kabir said, "NCT will not be handed over to a foreign operator under any circumstances. This agreement will be resisted at all costs."


Chattogram business leaders held a meeting with labour representatives on Wednesday afternoon, expressing moral support for the movement while urging alternative protests to limit economic losses, but labour leaders refused to call off the stoppage and reiterated their demand for cancelling the DP World lease.

Sources say now NCT is being operated by Chittagong Dry Dock Limited (CDDL), a Bangladesh Navy-run organisation, which is to continue operations until the handover to a foreign operator. However, the government has planned that NCT will be leased to DP World for 15 years. If the lease proceeds, DP World will collect all terminal charges, while negotiations continue over how much the company will pay the Chittagong Port Authority per container.

Meanwhile, leaders of the country's major trade bodies Thursday urged immediate restoration of normal functioning of Chattogram Port as the shutdown was putting a severe impact on the country's export-import trade.

Expressing deep concern, the leaders from top ten trade organisations sought immediate high-level intervention from the government to resolve the crisis facing the import-export trade.

Bangladesh Employers' Federation (BEF), Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI), Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Bangladesh Garment Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGAPMEA), Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association (BGBA) and Bangladesh Terry Towel and Linen Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BTTLMEA) made the joint call after an emergency meeting held at BTMA's Gulshan office in the capital, Dhaka.


This happens to be the first time in the history of Chattogram Port that even shipping has completely been stopped, they said, terming it 'rare crisis' that is completely paralyzing the country's main seaport, considered heart of the national economy. The closure of the port for a single day directly caused loss of several millions of taka to the economy, they deplored, adding that the country is facing an irreparable loss as the import-export activities of all sectors, including ready-made garments, came to a standstill.

Acting president of BGMEA Selim Rahman said raw materials for the export sector were not reaching factories on time, while on the other hand, manufactured goods are lying at ports awaiting shipment.

As a result, it becomes difficult to meet the lead-time of foreign buyers, which might result in air shipment, said Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, president of BEF.

"We fear that if this situation lasts just a few more days, a portion of orders might be cancelled and foreign buyers may take drastic decisions such as shifting their sourcing from Bangladesh," he noted.

They said the country's manufacturing and export sectors were currently undergoing crisis period, adding that due to global demand decline, rising production costs and global geopolitical instability, industries are facing a catastrophe - entrepreneurs are struggling to reduce business-operating costs and survive in the competition.

In the meantime, due to the terrible container congestion caused by the port deadlock, demurrage charges, port charges and storage rent are ballooning, which is directly increasing the cost of production.

"This will increase the price of products both for export and domestic market," said Showkat Aziz Russel, president of BTMA.

If this crisis was not resolved immediately, there would be a delay in the arrival of imported daily necessities on the market, resulting in an artificial crisis that will push the prices of goods ahead of Ramadan, businesses said.

They also blamed "government failure" for the standstill at port and requested the government for resolving the ongoing issue. And the upcoming new government can take the opportunity to review the complications that have arisen over the NCT lease.

The leaders also made special request to the port's union leaders to turn back from their exceptional stance.

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) also urged immediate restoration of normal operations at Chattogram Port where nearly 92 per cent of the country's import and export trade is handled.​

 

[Saif]

Trade bodies demand urgent fix to Ctg port deadlock

Leaders of ten major trade bodies have demanded immediate government intervention to resolve the ongoing deadlock at Chattogram port, which handles over 90 percent of the country’s maritime trade, terming it a “great disaster”.

www.thedailystar.net

Trade bodies demand urgent fix to Ctg port deadlock
6 February 2026, 00:00 AM

Leaders of ten major trade bodies have demanded immediate government intervention to resolve the ongoing deadlock at Chattogram port, which handles over 90 percent of the country’s maritime trade, terming it a “great disaster”.

This is the first time in the country’s history that all vessels have remained at a standstill at the port, they claimed in a joint statement at a press conference at the Gulshan office of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) in Dhaka yesterday.

“This is not a normal strike; it is equivalent to destroying the country’s heart of business and trade by creating a deadlock at Chattogram port,” the statement said.

The economy suffers losses of several thousand crores of taka even from a single day’s deadlock at the port, they added.

Operations at the port came to a halt after workers and employees of the seaport enforced indefinite work abstention from February 3, opposing the move by the interim government to hand over the operation of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at the port to UAE-based firm DP World.

Goods from export and import vessels have not been loaded or unloaded for nearly a week.

The joint statement was issued by top trade bodies, including the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), and Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF).

The Bangladesh Chamber of Industries, Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association, Bangladesh Garments Accessories & Packaging Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGAPMEA) and Bangladesh Terry Towel & Linen Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BTTLMEA) also signed the statement.

The country’s external trade, including the main export earner garments, has been facing irrecoverable losses due to the situation, they noted.

Operations at the port came to a halt after workers and employees of the seaport enforced indefinite work abstention from February 3

Exportable goods cannot be shipped, and imported goods cannot be released from vessels, which will make it difficult to meet strict delivery deadlines for international buyers.

The business leaders warned that Bangladesh risks losing work orders if the crisis continues, as international buyers may shift to alternative sourcing countries.

They also noted that export and industrial production are already under pressure due to falling demand, geopolitical crises, and rising production costs.

In such a situation, port demurrage charges, port fees, and storage costs are increasing, directly affecting production costs. Consequently, export prices will rise, negatively impacting international trade.

Additional costs on imported goods may also affect the prices of essential commodities meant for Ramadan sales. Any delay in releasing imported goods could disrupt the timely supply to consumers and raise price levels if the stalemate is not resolved quickly.

An unstable situation has also been created in obtaining bank loans and opening Letters of Credit (LCs) for importing goods.

The business leaders urged the government to resolve the port crisis immediately, considering the greater interest of the country and the economy.

In the statement, the business leaders urged the union leaders to call off the strike. They also suggested that the issue of renting the NCT can be postponed, and the union leaders can have the chance to discuss it with the next elected government.

“It is our firm belief that the government will sit with the labour leaders soon and solve the crisis immediately,” the statement reads.

In a separate statement, the DCCI urged the immediate restoration of normal operations at Chattogram port.

“Approximately 54,000 containers of goods have been stranded at the port so far,” it said.

Due to this delay in clearance, businesspeople are incurring additional costs of Tk 10,000 to Tk 15,000 per day. This ongoing shutdown is having a severe impact on the country’s export sector in particular.

“Moreover, if the situation continues, it will adversely affect the national economy. There is also a growing concern of cancellation or diversion of purchase orders to competitor countries, as we are unable to process shipment of goods in time,” it added.

In addition, this unexpected deadlock in cargo handling is likely to increase operational costs across trade and investment activities, creating an extra burden on both businesses and consumers.

The statement called for urgent government intervention to resolve the problem as soon as possible through discussions with all stakeholders concerned with Chattogram port.

The chamber also stressed the need for collective efforts involving the business community, the Chittagong Port Authority and all relevant stakeholders.​

 

[Saif]

Ctg port deal: Haste makes waste

The temporary break in the Chattogram port strike that came after six full days of disruption did little to ease tensions. Port workers have flat-out warned that operations may be shut down again as early as tomorrow unless the government scraps the deal with DP World for the New Mooring Container

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Ctg port deal: Haste makes waste

FE
Published :
Feb 07, 2026 22:37
Updated :
Feb 07, 2026 22:37

The temporary break in the Chattogram port strike that came after six full days of disruption did little to ease tensions. Port workers have flat-out warned that operations may be shut down again as early as tomorrow unless the government scraps the deal with DP World for the New Mooring Container Terminal. With nearly all of Bangladesh's export-import trade flowing through this single maritime gateway, such persistent uncertainty keeps everyone on edge and ensures the crisis remains very much alive. While the interim government managed to buy this short breathing space through direct talks with labour leaders, the core disagreement over leasing the terminal to a foreign operator remains unresolved. At this point, it's clear the interim government is stuck between two tough choices. On the one hand, backing out of an agreement with a global port operator after making a commitment would damage Bangladesh's reputation for honouring contracts and send a negative signal to foreign investors. On the other hand, pushing ahead in the face of such fierce and organised resistance is to invite a wider confrontation.

There is little room to deny that Bangladesh urgently needs a much more efficient setup at its main port. For far too long, constant congestion, slow ship turnaround times and high logistics costs have steadily undermined the country's export competitiveness. Realistically, expecting a local operator to suddenly step up and meet global efficiency benchmarks without major technological and managerial upgrades simply isn't feasible. If the objective is to transform Chattogram into a modern port capable of supporting export growth, looking outward for expertise is a rational step forward. Sound outcomes, however, depend on sound processes and that is precisely where the current approach raises serious questions. Given the interim government's limited mandate and its primary responsibility to organise credible elections, was it really necessary to push through a long-term terminal lease at this juncture? Even if leasing out was deemed unavoidable, bypassing an open tendering process has created entirely avoidable suspicion. Open competition is not merely a procedural formality. Rather, it remains the most effective way to ensure transparency, value for money and public trust. Had such a process been followed, DP World might well have emerged as the winner, but the decision would have carried genuine legitimacy and deprived opponents of their main grievance. The apparent haste instead turned what could have been a technocratic improvement into a political flashpoint nobody needed.

The economic cost of the port deadlock is already enormous and continues to mount with each passing day. The strike has already racked up losses in the tens of billions of taka daily across the whole trade chain, hammering everyone from the revenue authority to importers and exporters. Far worse though is the longer-term danger that cannot be ignored. In global supply chains, reliability matters more than almost anything else. Once that reliability is shaken by prolonged disruptions like this, buyer confidence erodes faster than any price hike ever could.

Adding to the pressure, tariffs on Indian goods are now poised to drop as low as 18 per cent in the US while India has secured a major trade deal with the EU. As a direct consequence, Bangladesh exporters suddenly confront fierce and unrelenting competition from a powerful regional rival. In this increasingly intense global environment, self-inflicted disruptions such as prolonged port shutdown have become completely intolerable. This is why the current standoff demands an urgent and sensible resolution. The government must communicate clearly and engage workers without allowing the national economy to be held hostage. At the same time, labour leaders must recognise that resisting all change in the name of protection harms the very industries and jobs they seek to defend.​

 

[Saif]

No Ctg port lease-out under interim government: BIDA Chairman

The interim government will not lease out the New Mooring Container Terminal at Chattogram Port during its tenure, said the head of the country’s investment authority, dismissing the reported move over finalising a deal with global port operator DP World. Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, ex

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

No Ctg port lease-out under interim government: BIDA Chairman

UNB
Published :
Feb 08, 2026 19:15
Updated :
Feb 08, 2026 19:15

The interim government will not lease out the New Mooring Container Terminal at Chattogram Port during its tenure, said the head of the country’s investment authority, dismissing the reported move over finalising a deal with global port operator DP World.

Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), told a press briefing in Dhaka on Sunday that DP World has asked for additional time to review a draft agreement, effectively ruling out the possibility of finalising any lease deal before the interim administration leaves office.

“DP World has asked for time. As this government has no more than two working days left, it can be stated with certainty that no port lease agreement will be signed during the interim government’s tenure,” he said.

Ashik said DP World sent a letter to the Chief Adviser’s Office on Sunday morning, expressing satisfaction with the discussions held so far with Bangladesh.

“They are hopeful that the negotiations will move in the right direction in the future. We have sent them a draft agreement, which they want time to review. After the election and the end of this government’s term, negotiations will resume,” he said.

He said discussions with DP World have been ongoing since 2019, with more intensive negotiations taking place over the past month at various levels of the government. “We hope the dialogue will continue in the days ahead.”

Meanwhile, an indefinite strike has disrupted operations at Chittagong Port since Sunday morning, protesting any move to lease out the terminal. The strike, called by the Chittagong Port Protection Movement Council, has brought jetty and outer anchorage activities to a near standstill.

According to port sources, 12 vessels are currently berthed at the main jetty, while more than 50 cargo vessels remain stranded at the outer anchorage, with unloading operations halted.

Law enforcement agencies have been deployed in large numbers in and around the port area since morning.

Port workers had earlier observed three days of eight-hour work stoppages from January 31, followed by continuous work abstention from last Tuesday, severely disrupting container transportation.

The strike was suspended for two days after talks with the Shipping Adviser on Thursday, but resumed after port authorities sent letters seeking travel bans and asset probes against protest leaders.

Earlier in the day, Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain told reporters that the DP World issue remains under discussion. “They have written to the Chief Adviser seeking more time. Negotiations will continue, even after the election if necessary.”

Issuing a warning to the strikers, the adviser said a handful of people were trying to hold the entire port hostage. “They are holding 180 million people hostage. This cannot be allowed. The government has decided to take a hard line. Some have already been detained, and others will be arrested.”

The protesters are continuing the strike pressing four demands, including cancellation of any lease deal, removal of the port chairman, withdrawal of punitive actions against protesting employees, and assurance that no legal action will be taken against the agitators.​

 

[Saif]

Ctg port strike postponed until Feb 15

National election and Ramadan cargo release cited as reason

www.thedailystar.net

Ctg port strike postponed until Feb 15

National election and Ramadan cargo release cited as reason

Staff Correspondent, Ctg

File photo

Leaders of the Chattogram Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad decided late Sunday night to postpone their planned strike until February 15.

Confirming the development around 12:10am, Parishad Coordinator Md Ibrahim Khokan told The Daily Star that both the shipping adviser and the BIDA chairman had already indicated in separate programmes in Dhaka that the deal over the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) lease would not be signed during the tenure of the interim government.

Although the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) took punitive action against 16 employee leaders earlier in the day, the Parishad decided to defer the strike originally scheduled to begin at 8:00am Monday.

The decision was made considering the upcoming national election and the need to release imported cargo ahead of Ramadan.

Khokan assured that all operations will resume in the morning.​

 

[Saif]

Mongla port posts record cargo handling in July-Jan

The Mongla Port Authority has recorded a significant rise in vessel arrivals and cargo handling during the first seven months of the 2025-26 financial year, marking a new milestone in the port’s operational performance.

www.newagebd.net

Mongla port posts record cargo handling in July-Jan
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Khulna 18 February, 2026, 21:58

File photo

The Mongla Port Authority has recorded a significant rise in vessel arrivals and cargo handling during the first seven months of the 2025-26 financial year, marking a new milestone in the port’s operational performance.

As the country’s second-largest seaport, Mongla handled 21,651 TEUs of containers between July 2025 and January 2026, surpassing the entire previous fiscal year’s total of 21,456 TEUs. The figure represents a 79.19 per cent increase compared to FY 2024-25, according to port sources.

During the July-January period, a total of 31 foreign commercial container vessels docked at the port. Overall, 515 foreign commercial ships arrived at Mongla in the seven-month period, while 6,404 reconditioned vehicles were imported through the port.

Cargo handling reached 8.266 million tonnes during the period, registering a 25.03 per cent increase over the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

Officials said the steady growth in maritime traffic reflects the port’s expanding role in facilitating the country’s import and export trade and reducing pressure on other seaports.

Deputy director of Mongla Port Authority Md Makruzzaman said that the port had already exceeded last year’s total container handling volume with five months of the current fiscal year still remaining.

‘To improve services for port users and accommodate more vessels, three new operational anchor berths - HP-1, HP-2 and HP-3 - have been declared at Hiron Point,’ he said.

He added that on a trial basis, 16 commercial vessels with a draft of 9.00 metres had successfully completed operations at the new berths. The facilities can now accommodate vessels up to 200 metres in length with a maximum 9.00-metre draft, enabling larger cargo operations and quicker turnaround times.

At present, the port handles imports of essential commodities including food grains, cement raw materials, clinker, fertiliser, automobiles, machinery, rice, wheat, coal, oil, stone, maize, oilseeds and LPG.

Exports through the Mongla port include white fish, shrimp, crab, frozen foods, jute and jute goods, clay tiles, silk fabrics and other locally manufactured products.

Port stakeholders expressed optimism that ongoing infrastructural development and rising vessel calls would further enhance trade throughput and make a stronger contribution to the national economy in the years ahead.​