C T Online Desk: Gonotantrik 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 that the current Bangladeshi management at Chittagong port is functioning effectively.
He said that the government should invest in boosting the port’s capacity and modernizing 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.
Prof Anu said that 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 Kallol Mustafa 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.
At the end of the program, the Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee announced a long march towards Chittagong port, set to begin from the National Press Club on June 28.
