Agitating workers and employees on Thursday blocked the car of Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) Dr A Sakhawat Hussain outside Chittagong Port, demanding the removal of Port Chairman M Moniruzzaman.
The incident occurred around 11:00am when the adviser’s vehicle was stopped at the main gate of the port as he was about to enter the premises. Dr Sakhawat Hussain had arrived in Chittagong to hold discussions with stakeholders over the ongoing crisis at the country’s principal seaport.
Following the blockade, the adviser stepped out of his vehicle and held talks with the protesters. The demonstrators reiterated their demand for the removal of the port chairman and opposed any move to hand over the port to a foreign entity.
Addressing the workers, Dr Sakhawat Hussain said the interim government would not take any decision that compromises national interests. “The port was once controlled by a mafia group. That will not happen again in the future,” he said.
Protesters raised various allegations against the port chairman and reiterated their demand for his removal. The adviser said he would first hold talks with all concerned parties and later sit with the workers separately in the afternoon, adding that he had come with the intention of resolving the issue.
A deadlock has emerged at Chittagong Port due to the ongoing strike by workers and employees. In this situation, the Chittagong Port Authority convened an emergency meeting on Thursday morning.
When Dr Sakhawat Hossain attempted to enter the port building to attend the meeting at the Chittagong Port Authority conference room, his vehicle was stopped. The situation later returned to normal in the presence of law enforcement agencies.
An indefinite strike has been underway at Chittagong Port since Wednesday morning, called by the Port Protection Sangram Parishad.
As a result, all port operations have come to a halt, including the loading and unloading of containers and bulk cargo from vessels at jetties. Delivery of imported goods, container handling, vessel movement to and from jetties, transportation of containers to and from off-docks, and movement of goods vehicles inside the port have also been suspended.
The Port Protection Sangram Parishad has been protesting for the past six days against the decision to lease the port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to UAE-based DP World. The group observed three eight-hour strikes from Saturday to Monday, followed by a 24-hour strike from 8am on Tuesday. Later, coordinator Md Ibrahim Khokon announced an indefinite strike starting from 8am on Wednesday.
