One hundred seven citizens, including academics, activists, lawyers, writers and journalists on Thursday demanded the cancellation of recently signed agreements for appointing overseas operators to Laldia Container Terminal in Chattogram and Pangaon Inland Container Terminal聽in Dhaka to manage their operations.
The Chittagong Port Authority under the shipping ministry signed the agreements with foreign firms on November 17, the day when an International Crimes Tribunal announced the verdict in a case of crimes against humanity against the ousted prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina.
The citizens, in a joint statement issued on Thursday, alleged that the contract and the decision-making processes were carried out in a flawed and non-transparent manner, while the port users were not involved in it.
Signatories to the statement alleged that the port users were not informed about the terms and conditions of the agreements, which were not only聽surprising but also worrying.
They also raised questions that the interim government鈥檚 move on such important matters of the country in hurried and secret ways was creating public concern.
The signatories to the statement included Jahangirnagar University former professor Anu Muhammad, writer and professor Salimullah Khan, translator Khaliquzzaman Elias, writer and professor聽Azfar Hussain, cultural activist Farzana Wahid Shayan, journalist Saydia Gulrukh, lawyer Manzur Al Matin, and Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi general secretary Jamshed Anwer Tapan.
