Labour platform Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Parishad, SKOP in short, on Saturday staged a mass hunger strike in Chattogram city, protesting at any probable decision to lease out the New Mooring Container Terminal and Laldiar Char of Chattogram Port to foreign companies.
SKOP leaders and activists began the programme in the morning in front of the Chattogram Press Club, continuing till about 4:00pm, urging the government to halt all moves to hand over any part of the port infrastructure, including New Mooring Container Terminal and Laldiar Char, to any local or foreign private operators, DP World among them.
The hunger strike was inaugurated by SKOP central leader and Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Sramik Dal president Anwar Hossain, while it was presided over by the party鈥檚 Chattogram divisional general secretary and former port Collective Bargaining Agent鈥檚 general secretary Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar.
Anwar Hossain in his address said, 鈥楾he Chattogram Port is the main driving force of the country鈥檚 economy. The New Mooring Container Terminal, built entirely with domestic funding and equipped with modern technology, is currently the most successful container terminal in the country.鈥�
The government鈥檚 decision to hand it over to foreign company DP World was against the national interest and self-destructive and such decision would not be accepted in any way, he said.
Presiding over the programme, Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar said, 鈥業t is the responsibility of the state to protect people鈥檚 assets, not to sell or lease them.鈥�
Calling on the interim government to transfer power to elected representatives through national elections, he also cautioned against attempts to harass port workers and intimidate them by issuing show-cause notices.
Trade Union Centre Chattogram district committee president and Labour Reform Commission member Tapan Dutta said, 鈥楾he unilateral decision taken during the previous government鈥檚 tenure has been upheld by the current interim administration which is deeply regrettable.鈥�
People will never accept this conspiracy to hand over the country鈥檚 strategic assets to foreigners, he said, warning that Chattogram would be brought to a standstill through hartal and blockade if such decision was taken.
SKOP leaders announced that if the government did not immediately cancel the lease plan, they would launch tougher programmes, including a general strike in Chattogram, work stoppages, and port blockades.
Among others present at the programme were Bangladesh Labour Federation president SK Khoda Toton, TUC leader Khorshedul Alam, SKOP joint convener Rizwaanur Rahman Khan and BLF Chattogram metropolitan committee president Nurul Absar Tawhid.
Leaders expressing solidarity included Communist Party of Bangladesh former president Shah Alam, BASAD Chattogram district in-charge Al Kaderi Joy, Ganomukti Union district president Raja Mia, Socialist Students Front city president Miraz Uddin, and Bangladesh Labour Federation district convener Zahedunnabi Konok.