Today, 19 November, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Assistant Secretary General and Chattogram Zonal Head Mohammad Shahjahan issued a statement. He said that Chattogram Port is the lifeline of the country’s economy. The port is also closely connected with sensitive issues such as national security, independence, and sovereignty. Therefore, there is no scope for taking any hasty, non-transparent, or secret measures regarding Chattogram Port.

He said that, unfortunately, the current government is attempting to do exactly that. Without any tender, all conspiracies are underway to hand over the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to a foreign company associated with the relatives of the fallen autocrat. In addition, decisions taken by the current government regarding several other terminals have also triggered public anger and dissatisfaction. In this alarming situation, we are presenting the following proposals to clarify our position on Chattogram Port in light of public expectations:

1. Develop the port through domestic management.

2. If absolutely necessary, appoint skilled and experienced foreign personnel and train local manpower under their supervision. Procure high-quality machinery and all necessary equipment.

3. If that too is not possible, the responsibility of port operations may be given to a foreign operator. However, in that case, the agreement must strictly follow the principles of international contract bidding and the public must be duly informed.

He further said that any secret agreement or illegal deal without tender will create public outrage, and the entire responsibility for that will fall squarely on the government.