Police baton-charged and dispersed a protest rally in Dhaka on Thursday as protesters opposed a 15-year concession agreement with United Arab Emirates-based DP World to operate Chittagong Port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT).
The agreement was signed at around 3:30pm at the Invest Bangladesh office in Agargaon, formerly the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), according to media reports.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh Awami Sangram Dal (BASD) and several other organizations gathered in front of the Invest Bangladesh office from 2pm to protest the agreement.
The reports said police baton-charged the protesters at around 2:45pm and dispersed them.
Bangladesh signs 15-year deal with DP World to operate NCTCPB President Sazzad Zahir Chandan, who was present at the scene, said the group had gathered on behalf of the Anti-Imperialist and Anti-War Coalition to protest the agreement with DP World for the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chittagong Port.
“We believe this agreement amounts to selling out Bangladesh. DP World has ties with the US Navy, which can be understood by visiting its website,” he said.
Sazzad Zahir further said: “By giving DP World the New Mooring Container Terminal at Chittagong Port, it seems that America will be able to directly interfere in Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty. They will use our seaports, airports—everything.”
He also said: “We came here today to protest against this. Our rally was peaceful. At one point during the peaceful rally, police baton-charged us without any provocation.”
“Those who are selling Bangladesh to America and DP World today will be remembered throughout their lives as traitors and betrayers of the country,” he said. “We, the leftists, will remain in the struggle. We will protect the country’s ports and national assets, even if it costs us our last drop of blood.”
The CPB said police carried out a heavy baton-charge on its peaceful protest rally.
The reports said Sazzad Zahir Chandan and many other party leaders and activists were injured.
