Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad to blockade Ctg port tomorrow

CHATTOGRAM, Nov 24: Leaders of the Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) will impose a three-hour blockade of the Chittagong Port beginning at 10:00 am tomorrow, as their meeting with officials of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) failed on Monday.

CPA Secretary Omar Faruk, however, said that the meeting was successful and the labour leaders agreed to withdraw their blockade. "The matter is now under High Court's review. Any movement on this issue can be treated as contempt of court," he said.

According to a press release from SKOP, the CPA convened the discussion at 11:00 am, attended by its acting chairman, the member (engineering), the harbour and marine member and Secretary Omar Faruk. SKOP was represented by Comrade Tapon Dutta, Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar and SK Khoda Toton.

CPA officials briefed the labour delegation on the context behind the proposed lease of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to DP World. They said no agreement is likely this month, as the port chairman is on leave and the government cannot enter into such a strategic deal once the election schedule is announced in early December. According to them, there is no move to fast-track a deal with DP World.

SKOP leaders, however, rejected the assurance, pointing to comments by BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun on the day Laldia Char and Pangaon were leased out. Mr Ashik had stated that the NCT contract would be signed within a week, which SKOP says is unacceptable. They argue that an interim government has no moral or legal mandate to sign long-term strategic agreements.

The labour leaders said that it has been protesting for more than six months and that its movement now includes workers across the country, political groups and ordinary citizens. Stepping back unilaterally is no longer an option, they told the port authority.

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