Chattogram Port Workers Call Another Indefinite Strike Over Key Demands
After a two-day break, the Port Protection Movement Council has called an indefinite strike at Chattogram Port from 8:00 am on Sunday (8 February), pressing four demands. The strike was announced at a press conference held at the Chattogram Press Club on Saturday (7 February) afternoon. The written statement was read out by Md. Humayun Kabir, coordinator of the Chattogram Port Protection Movement Council.
Their demands include: an announcement that the port’s key facility, NCT, will not be leased to DP World; the removal of Chairman M. Moniruzzaman, who they say is the main cause of the crisis at the port; the cancellation of all punitive measures including transfers, charge sheets, temporary suspensions, and demotions taken against employees during the previous movement, and the reinstatement of every employee to their respective positions; and that no cases or legal actions be taken against protesting labor leaders.
Coordinator Md. Humayun Kabir said that an indefinite strike has again been called from 8:00 am on Sunday. He urged all concerned workers and employees to observe the strike and help protect the country’s important installation. The strike will also include the port’s outer anchorage. No operations will continue at the outer anchorage.
In the written statement, he said that from 31 January to 5 February, work stoppages totaling 96 hours were observed initially from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and later for 24 hours at a time—in protest against the process of leasing the port’s key facility, NCT, to DP World. However, no initiative was taken by the government or the authorities to hold discussions to resolve the crisis. On 5 February, the advisor to the Ministry of Shipping joined talks with them at 2:30 pm. At that meeting, they placed their four-point demands before him. As no resolution was reached regarding these demands, they have again called for a work stoppage.
Also present at the press conference were leaders of the Chattogram Port Protection Movement Council, including Md. Harun, Taslim Hossain Selim, Abul Kasem, Yasin Reza Raju, Zahid Hossain, and Imam Hossain Khokon.
