C T Online Desk: Workers and staff at Chittagong port continued their strike for a second day on Sunday to protest the government’s decision to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to a foreign company.
The labour action began at 8am, halting operations across three key terminals — GCB, CCT, and NCT — as loading and unloading of containers from ships came to a near standstill. Administrative work at the port was also suspended.
Humayun Kabir, coordinator of the Chittagong Port Nationalist Workers’ Party, told reporters, “Operations remain completely shut today, just as they were yesterday. No one forced the workers; they joined the movement voluntarily.”
Ibrahim Khokon, another party coordinator, warned that the strike could continue indefinitely if port authorities do not reverse the lease decision. The union plans to take a formal decision after today’s work stoppage ends.
The strike follows Thursday’s call by the port’s nationalist workers’ union against the government’s move to lease NCT to UAE-based DP World. Following the halt in operations, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) banned gatherings and meetings in the area late Saturday night.
CMP previously imposed similar restrictions from 11 October to 11 December 2025, after protests against the NCT lease escalated. Yesterday, workers observed the strike from 8am to 4pm, and today’s eight-hour stoppage continues under the same programme.
