NCT Leasing: Ctg port workers announce fresh strike from today

Business Report :

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) on Sunday called an emergency meeting with employees and workers from several departments to ease the labour deadlock, but labour leaders say, workers are reluctant to attend, citing mistrust over the government’s plan to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based DP World.
According to an official letter issued on Saturday, the CPA asked around 200 general employees and workers to attend the meeting, scheduled for 9:30am at the Bandar Bhaban conference room.
The directive, signed by CPA Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim, instructed divisional heads to ensure participation based on fixed departmental quotas.
The letter set department-wise attendance quotas, including 50 from transport, 80 from mechanical, 20 each from security, electrical and engineering, 15 from finance and accounts, five from inspection, and smaller numbers from other sections.
In addition, the chief welfare officer was asked to ensure the presence of around 100 nominated workers from different categories. The CPA said the meeting was convened to discuss “urgent matters,” ordered strict compliance, and put security, traffic and medical services on standby. Labour leaders, however, rejected the move, arguing that the authority’s recent actions had eroded trust and reduced the scope for meaningful dialogue. “Calling workers selectively and fixing numbers department-wise does not reflect genuine consultation,” said Humyun Kabir, coordinator of the Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad.
“Workers feel this is more about control than dialogue.” He added that labour leaders had urged workers and employees not to attend the meeting. The emergency meeting comes as unrest at Chattogram Port continues, with workers launching an indefinite strike on Sunday demanding the NCT lease be cancelled. The standoff has raised alarm within the business community. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (EuroCham Bangladesh) warned that ongoing work stoppages are inflicting heavy economic losses, disrupting exports and damaging confidence in Bangladesh’s supply-chain reliability.
EuroCham said on Saturday that export container movements at Chattogram Port, which handles over 90 percent of Bangladesh’s trade, had nearly come to a halt.
The port typically moves 2,000 to 2,500 export containers daily, but recent disruptions have left goods stranded at port yards, inland container depots and offshore vessels. Euro Cham estimates that export goods worth about $660 million are currently stuck in nearly 13,000 containers.
Last week, an earlier indefinite strike halted port operations for six days before being temporarily suspended following talks with Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain. Labour leaders later warned that protests would resume if the NCT deal was not scrapped.
Tensions remain high, with unions calling employee transfers and investigations punitive. The CPA hoped the meeting would engage workers, but the standoff continues to threaten port productivity and trade.