Various processes were aggressively pursued to secure a lease agreement with DP World for operating the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), the most profitable facility at Chattogram Port, during the tenure of the interim government. However, Ashik Chowdhury, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Authority and executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), said yesterday that there is no possibility of signing the lease during the interim government’s term, as DP World has sought more time to review the contract details.
Port insiders say the interim government had aimed to sign the concession agreement with UAE-based DP World by the first week of February at any cost. But a workers’ strike that brought operations to a standstill — from jetties to the outer anchorage — ultimately forced the government to step back from finalising the NCT lease at the last moment.
Formal discussions between the Bangladesh government and Dubai-based global port operator DP World on the operation and development of the NCT began in 2019. That year, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) and DP World signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), laying the groundwork for discussions on potential operations, investment structure, and the framework for a future concession agreement. After the interim government assumed office, negotiations with DP World entered their final stage.
The New Mooring Container Terminal was built in 2007, with the CPA investing around BDT 30 billion in phases to develop infrastructure and install equipment. Fully operational since 2015, the terminal is currently the port’s most profitable facility. Although it has long been operated by local operators, the ousted Awami League government initiated moves in 2019 to hand over the NCT to a foreign operator, taking a policy decision to operate the terminal on a government-to-government (G2G) basis.
To open the door for appointing a foreign operator under the PPP framework, policies were formulated in 2017, and the PPP Act was amended in 2019. In March 2023, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved operating the terminal under a public-private partnership, appointing the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as transaction adviser.
Although the Awami League government was ousted in August 2024, the current interim government maintained continuity in negotiations with DP World. In fact, the process of leasing out the NCT gained further momentum under the leadership of the PPP Authority and BIDA. Port officials say that after assuming office, PPP Authority CEO and BIDA Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury prioritised bringing a foreign operator into Chattogram Port management.
Last year, Mirza Walid Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Youth Economists Forum, filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of leasing out the NCT to a foreign operator. The petition alleged violations of PPP laws and policies and questioned the move to sign a G2G agreement without a fair and competitive tender. After hearings, the High Court delivered a split verdict on December 4, 2025. Despite the ongoing legal process, the interim government continued advancing the NCT leasing process, including forming an evaluation committee.
According to documents from the Ministry of Shipping and the PPP Authority, amendments to the tender, technical and financial evaluations, and vetting by the Ministry of Law had all been completed, with a date set to sign the concession agreement with DP World in the first week of February. The haste surrounding the deal drew criticism from various quarters.
Workers and employees at the port began protest programmes opposing the NCT lease, citing concerns over declining port revenue, national capacity, and other issues. The strikes effectively paralysed the port’s three main terminals from February 5. The situation worsened when cargo handling at the outer anchorage was suspended yesterday. Ships berthed at jetties were unable to load or unload cargo, while more than 50 vessels were stranded at the outer anchorage. Entry of export-laden containers into the port was halted, and imported goods could not be cleared, creating severe pressure on the country’s import-export supply chain.
Amid the impasse, leading business organisations, one after another, publicly voiced concern and called for direct government intervention. Leaders of top trade organisations, including the BGMEA, BKMEA, and BTMA, said the paralysis at the port was posing a major risk to the national economy. They informed the government that demurrage and storage charges were rising sharply and warned that the country’s image in international markets was also being harmed.
The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (EuroCham Bangladesh) also expressed concern over the disruption of operations at Chattogram Port.
On the other hand, the port authority continued taking administrative action against the protesters. The Chittagong Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad (the Chattogram Port Protection Movement Council) alleged a series of punitive measures, including transfers, temporary suspensions, filing of cases, and letters sent to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
At a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy yesterday, the BIDA executive chairman said, “Today we received a letter from DP World. It reached the Chief Adviser’s Office this morning. They have appreciated it. They are satisfied with the progress of the negotiations taking place here. They hope this will grow further in the future and move in the right direction.”
Explaining that DP World had sought time to review the draft concession agreement, Ashik Chowdhury said DP World had responded to the shared draft by stating: “It has been received by us, and we’ll review it in detail and revert with our observations in the earliest practicable time. Essentially, they’ve asked for some time to review the document. We probably have only two working days left. Since they’ve sought time, I assume there’s a possibility that this government’s tenure will pass, the election will be over, and the negotiations may continue later.”
Responding to journalists’ questions that the agreement with DP World was scheduled to be signed on February 1, Ashik Chowdhury said this was a rumour. “There was never any fixed date for signing. This is a bilateral negotiation, not a classic tendering process. How long such negotiations will continue and when the two sides will agree on a concession agreement is very difficult for anyone to predict. No one is coming here under pressure to sign anything. There is no reason to think that anything will be signed, disregarding national interests. Until an understanding is reached, there is no logic in setting a signing date,” he said.
Stakeholders say that with this announcement by the interim government, the NCT leasing process has effectively stalled for now. As of 10:00 pm last night, operations at Chattogram Port had not returned to normal. However, later, the Chattogram Port Protection Movement Council announced in a statement that it would suspend its strike programme from 8:00 am today until February 15. In the statement, signed by coordinators Md Humayun Kabir and Md Ibrahim Khokon, the council said the decision was taken in the interest of the 13th national parliamentary election and the clearance of goods ahead of Ramadan. It also warned that if there is no resolution regarding cases filed against several employees, allegedly harassing transfers to different ports, various punitive actions against protesters, cancellation of housing allocations, and the temporary suspension of 16 employees, the council would announce its next course of action at a press conference on February 16.
Md Humayun Kabir, an employee of the port’s audit department and a coordinator of the movement, told Bonik Barta, “In the face of the legitimate movement of workers and employees, the government has, for now, taken a step regarding the NCT. But even after the decision, the port authority is complicating the situation again by taking punitive measures such as cases and suspensions.”
Amirul Haque, managing director of Premier Cement Mills PLC, told Bonik Barta, “Although it took time, the government has reached a decision on the NCT issue. But in reality, even today (Sunday) operations at Chattogram Port remain virtually paralysed, and this has already caused significant losses to trade.”