Leaders of different left leaning parties called on the interim government to cancel its plan to hand over the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) of Chattogram Port to UAE-based firm DP World.
Speaking at a press conference at Boithakkhana Hall in Chattogram on Wednesday morning, they also demanded to refrain from providing humanitarian aid passage to Myanmar's Rakhine State.
Leaders of Anti-Imperialist Patriotic People, an alliance of left parties consisting of the Left Democratic Alliance (LDC) and the Anti-Fascist Left Alliance, expressed concern that decisions of such significance --especially those involving key infrastructure and foreign relations -- should not be made by an interim government.
The press briefing was held in support of a two-day Dhaka-Chattogram road march, scheduled for June 27-28.
Nurussafa Bhuiyan, acting general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh's (CPB) Chattogram district unit, said there was no justification for new investment, foreign or domestic, in the fully equipped and profitable NCT terminal.
Claiming that under an agreement between DP World and the US government, the US Navy can access ports operated by the firm, Bhuiyan alleged that the move was part of "a conspiracy of US imperialism".
CPB Chattogram unit President Ashok Saha said, "Such fundamental decisions involving port operations and aid passage should not be taken by an interim government. These require the people's mandate."
He questioned the necessity of handing over a profit-making terminal to a foreign operator, suggesting that if foreign investment was needed, it could be directed towards greenfield projects such as Bay Terminal or Laldia Terminal.
Socialist Party of Bangladesh (SPB) Chattogram in-charge Al Kadery Joy moderated the briefing where SPB (Marxist) Coordinator Shafiuddin Kabir Abid, Gonomukti Union leader Raja Mia and Bangladesher Samyabadi Andolan organiser Shaheen Manzoor spoke, among others.
The road march which will begin at 9:00am on June 27 from the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka, will make stops in Narayanganj and Cumilla for street rallies and processions, followed by an overnight stay in Feni, said the organisers.
On June 28, the march will resume and move through Mirsharai and Sitakunda, before concluding with a final rally outside Chattogram Port.
