The High Court has set December 4 for delivering its verdict on the rule regarding the legality of the Chittagong Port Authority’s contract with a foreign company to operate the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT).
A bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Fatema Anwar fixed the date on Tuesday.
Earlier, Mirza Walid Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Youth Economists Forum, filed a writ petition challenging the legality of handing over the NCT’s operations to a foreign company.
The petition, filed on July 30, questioned the validity of the contract signed between the Chittagong Port Authority and the foreign operator.
Following the initial hearing, the court issued a rule. On November 13, the High Court scheduled November 19 for the rule’s hearing, which began on that day. On November 20, after hearing the matter, the court verbally ordered the government to suspend all activities under the agreement.
Senior lawyers Zainul Abedin, Ahsanul Karim, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Barrister Kaiser Kamal appeared for the petitioner, while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman represented the state.
The New Mooring Container Terminal, built in 2007, is one of the largest facilities at Chittagong Port. The port authority has so far invested Tk2,712 crore in its construction and equipment. The terminal handles the majority of the port’s import and export containers.