Leasing NCT-CCT ignoring public opinion will be resisted: Port Protection Committee

Speakers at a roundtable have warned that the people of the country will never accept the leasing of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) to any domestic or foreign entity, particularly DP World, under a concession model while ignoring public opinion. They also vowed to resist the implementation of any such agreement.

The warning came at a roundtable titled "Leasing of Chittagong Port's NCT-CCT: The Future of Bangladesh's Economy, National Security and Sovereignty," organised by the Port Protection Committee, Chattogram, at Hotel Saikat's Halda Hall on Tuesday morning .

The event was chaired by committee convenor Engineer Delwar Majumdar, with a concept paper presented by member secretary Fazlul Kabir Mintu. Speakers included poet and journalist Abul Momen, former CPB general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, Engineer Subhash Chandra Barua, former CPB president Mohammad Shah Alam, TUC Chattogram district president Tapan Dutta, and others.

The concept paper stated that the NCT and CCT are national assets built with public funds, not foreign investment, and are successfully operated by domestic manpower. It questioned the necessity of handing them over to foreign operators. The NCT, designed for 1.1 million TEUs, currently handles around 1.3 million TEUs annually, setting records for efficiency. This, the paper argued, proves the capability of domestic management.

It warned that under a concession model, while state ownership remains on paper, operational control and profit distribution would largely shift to foreign entities, threatening economic independence and national security. The paper also alleged that container handling charges were raised by 37 percent before any final agreement, but the justification for such an increase was never explained to the public.

Speakers called for transparency, a parliamentary debate, and a halt to any long-term concession agreement without public consultation. They declared that the port would not become a testing ground for corporate interests or foreign control, and vowed resistance if needed.