The Chittagong Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad began a mass hunger strike in front of the port’s One-Stop Service Building on Monday, demanding cancellation of the agreement with United Arab Emirates-based operator DP World to operate the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT).
The protesters are also demanding job security for port workers and employees, along with the fulfillment of other basic demands.
The peaceful hunger strike began at 11:30am and is scheduled to continue until 4pm.
Humayun Kabir and Ibrahim Khokon, joint conveners of the Chittagong Port Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal and the Chittagong Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad, took part in the program.
Participants chanted slogans including: “My port is my mother; we will not hand it over to foreigners” and “Go back, go back, DP World, DP World.”
On October 8, a 15-year concession agreement was signed with DP World to operate the NCT. The agreement was signed at the Invest Bangladesh auditorium in Agargaon in the afternoon by DP World Chairman HE Essa Kazim and Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman.
The Chittagong Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad and various other organizations have been protesting against the agreement for a long time.
