Workers march in Ctg against moves to lease out NCT, Laldiar Char to foreign cos

Thousands of workers and employees took to the streets in the port city on Sunday to protest a plan to lease out key state-owned port assets.

They described the move as a "domestic and foreign conspiracy" to lease out key state-owned port assets -- the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to Dubai-based DP World and Laldiar Char to Danish shipping giant Maersk.

The protest, organised by the Chattogram Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad, began with a march from Barik Building intersection to the Chattogram Port Building gate, where a rally was held. Starting at 11 am, the demonstration drew a massive turnout of workers and labour leaders.

The rally was presided over by AM Nazim Uddin, president of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal's Chattogram divisional committee and joint convener of the Parishad, while Rizwanur Rahman Khan, another joint convener, conducted the proceedings.

Speakers included Tapan Dutta, president of TUC Chattogram district and member of the Labour Reform Commission; Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, divisional general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal; Ibrahim Khokon; Md Saiful Islam Selim; and Md Harun. Also present on behalf of the Parishad were Khorshedul Alam, president of Trade Union Sangha; Nurul Absar Bhuiyan, divisional general secretary of BLF Chattogram; and Zahid Uddin Shahin, general secretary of the Bangladesh National Sramik Federation, Chattogram district.

Speakers warned that NCT is a critical state-owned facility for the national economy, and any move to hand it over to a foreign company under "secret agreements" amounts to a betrayal of national and workers' interests.

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