Chattogram Port Workers Plan Protests Over Privatization Deal

File image courtesy Moheen Reeyad / CC BY SA 4.0

Chattogram port workers have planned a fresh wave of protests as disagreement with the government over leasing of a container terminal mounts. The workers under the union, Chattogram Port Protection Movement Council, are opposed to the proposed leasing of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to the UAE-based port operator DP World.

NCT is Chattogram’s largest container terminal, handling nearly half of the port’s container volume. Currently, the terminal is operated by the state-owned Chittagong Dry Dock Limited (CDDL), a corporation under the Bangladesh Navy. As part of the ongoing port privatization drive, DP World has emerged as a front-runner candidate to operate NCT.

The port workers are concerned that the government has not carried out proper public consultation on the concession deal. In February, the Chattogram port workers’ union called for a strike, which impacted port operations for almost two weeks. At the time, the union claimed that its negotiations with the government had failed as its key demands concerning the lease were not met. The strike was called off mid-February when current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took over from the interim government led by the Nobel Peace prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.

In a press conference over the weekend, the Chattogram Port Protection Movement Council said it would begin peaceful protests from September 22. The union is composed of several port-based workers’ organizations, which are pushing for greater transparency in the privatization plans. In addition, the union leaders demanded for the withdrawal of cases filed against fifteen port employees and union leaders for participating in the February strike.

Again, the union requested the government (through the finance and shipping ministers) to organize a national dialogue on the NCT deal. In a build-up to these consultations, the union leaders called for trade groups across all sectors to prepare for a day-long sit-in protest on October 5 in front of Chattogram Port headquarters.

With Bangladesh working to modernize its port sector, private operators are increasingly being awarded concessions to major terminals in the country. In July, the Saudi port operator RSGT launched operations at the Patenga Container Terminal in Chattogram Port. Last month, APM Terminals began construction of the new Laldia container terminal in Chattogram. Containerized trade at the port is increasing year on year, reaching a throughput of 3.56 million TEU in 2025.

Top image: Moheen Reeyad / CC BY SA 4.0