‘Save the Port, Stop the Corridor’ road march reaches Chattogram Port

A road march organised by the “Anti-Imperialist Patriotic People” has reached Chattogram Port, protesting plans to hand over its management to foreign companies.

The march made its way to the port authority building by 4:45 pm on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.

Leading the protest were Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Shah Alam, General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BaSaD) General Secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz, among other leftist leaders.

The protest began on Friday from the National Press Club in Dhaka, demanding the cancellation of initiatives to involve foreign companies in port management and to establish a “humanitarian corridor” in Myanmar’s Rakhine.

The platform spearheading the movement comprises leaders from various left-leaning political groups.

The programme was first announced on Jun 21 in Dhaka.

Their charter of demands also includes halting the launch of Starlink internet services in Bangladesh, claiming it is an attempt to entangle the country in the “imperialist war machine”.

According to organisers, over 600 activists from more than 50 social, cultural and political organisations are participating in the march.

The participants held a brief rally in Narayanganj’s Sonargaon, before heading to the Town Hall Ground in Cumilla around 6:15 pm on Friday.

After concluding a rally there, they reached Feni by 11 pm.

The second day of the road march began at 9:30 am on Saturday from Hazari Road in Feni with a procession.

From there, the participants boarded vehicles and set off for Chattogram.

After holding roadside rallies in Mirsarai and Sitakunda, they gathered at Barik Building intersection in the city before marching towards the port.

Protesters carried placards bearing slogans such as: “Mother, soil, estuary -- not for foreign hands”, “No to foreign control over port, corridor”, “Do not hand Chattogram Port to foreigners”, “Cancel contract with US company Starlink”, “Scrap all unequal deals that go against national interest”, “Interim government is a watchdog for imperialism”, and “Stand up against US, India, and all imperialist domination”.