NCT Lease: Indefinite strike at Chittagong Port from Sunday

The Chittagong Port Protection Council has announced an indefinite strike at Chittagong Port starting on Sunday, from 8 am over four key demands.

The primary demand is a formal government declaration abandoning any plan to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to DP World.

This time the strike will be total: all operations at the jetties, yards, terminals, administrative buildings, and outer lightering will come to a complete halt. 

Unlike the previous strike when activities continued at the outer anchorage, no work will take place anywhere in the port during this action.

Coordinator of the Chittagong Port Protection Council, Md. Ibrahim Khokon, announced the programme on Saturday at a press conference held at the Chittagong Press Club.

The council's three other demands are the immediate removal of the current port chairman, SM Moniruzzaman; cancellation of all punitive measures including transfers, charge sheets, suspensions, and demotions imposed on employees during previous agitations, along with their full reinstatement; and a complete bar on any legal action, including filing cases against the protesting labor leaders.

Coordinator of the Port Protection Sangram Parishad, Md. Humayun Kabir, said the workers had earlier observed an eight-hour strike from last Saturday to Monday and again from Tuesday to Thursday afternoon demanding cancellation of the NCT leasing process to foreign companies. 

Following assurances from Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M. Sakhawat Hossain, the agitation was suspended for two days—Friday and Saturday. Since the adviser failed to honour his commitment, the workers have now expanded the scope and intensified the programme with this indefinite shutdown.

Present at the press conference were Coordinator Md. Humayun Kabir, President of the Dock Jatiyatabad Workers' Party Md. Harun, General Secretary Taslim Hossain Selim, Executive President Abul Kashem, Coordinator of the Merchant Workers' Union Yasin Reza Raju, Zahid Hossain, Md. Harun, Imam Hossain Khokon of the Winchesman Association, Sharif Hossain Bhutto, and others.