The Bander Rakkha Parishad brought out a torch procession in Chattogram city on Sunday evening, demanding that the government halt plans to lease out terminals and facilities of the country鈥檚 main seaport to foreign companies.
The procession began from the city鈥檚 Barapol area and paraded through several major streets. Participants chanted slogans urging authorities not to lease any port terminal or installation to foreign operators, to withdraw what they called unjustified tariffs, and to remove the Chattogram Port Authority chairman.
Following the procession, Bander Rakkha Parishad leaders held a brief rally where they reiterated their demand for the immediate removal of the port chairman, insisting that the port must remain under national control.
One speaker at the rally said, 鈥榃e are holding this torch procession to protest the move to hand over the country鈥檚 main port to foreign hands. We will protect this important port at any cost and will never allow it to be given to any foreign or contracted group. People from all walks of life across Bangladesh will unite and resist this move.鈥�
Earlier on Saturday, leaders of the Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) observed a mass hunger strike in front of the Chattogram Press Club, demanding that the government scrap its plan to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal and Laldiar Char to foreign companies.
