Ganatantrik Odhikar Committee (GOC), a coalition of left-leaning political groups, on Saturday called for the Chittagong Port to be operated using domestic resources, rejecting the idea of handing over management to foreign entities.
The demand was raised during a discussion titled ‘Why is Leasing Chittagong Port to a Foreign Company Risky?’, held at the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) auditorium in Paltan on Saturday.
Economist and civil society activist Professor Anu Muhammad, speaking as the chief guest, said the current Bangladeshi management at Chittagong Port is functioning effectively.
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He said the government should invest in boosting the port's capacity and modernising equipment to ensure smoother operations.
Referring to international examples, Prof Anu urged Bangladesh to follow the Singapore model, which developed a globally competitive port by strengthening national capacity.
He said Bangladesh has sidelined a portion of its capable manpower and suggested that efforts be made to upskill the workforce to meet international standards in port operation and management. “Handing over Chittagong Port to foreign management will compromise Bangladesh’s national security and strategic interests,” Prof Anu Muhammad warned.
Responding to a question, he said the country could easily quadruple its export volume using the existing infrastructure of the Chittagong Port.
Engineer Kollal Mostafa echoed the same concerns, calling on the government to appoint a domestic operator to deliver various port services.
He stressed the importance of transparency, urging authorities to disclose all terms of agreements with both domestic and foreign companies.
Jafar Alam, a former Chittagong Port official, delivered a detailed presentation on the port’s operational systems.
Other speakers included Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, General Secretary of the Chittagong Port CBA and Mahi Mirza.
At the end of the programme, the Ganatantrik Odhikar Committee announced a long march towards Chittagong Port, set to begin from the Jatiya Press Club on June 28.