Poet and columnist Farhad Mazhar has said that leasing out the Chattogram port without informing the public runs contrary to public interest, stressing that such decisions should be taken through transparent consultations involving workers, business communities, and all relevant stakeholders.
He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion titled, “Port Protection versus the Politics of Port Paralysis”, at the Chattogram Press Club on Friday. The event was organised by the Port Protection Committee.
Mazhar criticised the use of non-disclosure clauses to keep the public in the dark, calling it dangerous to justify handing over the port to foreign companies on the grounds of local inefficiency. He questioned whether the state would be able to take sovereign decisions during times of crisis if key infrastructure is outsourced.
Expressing concern over sovereignty, he said, “The ports and sovereignty are inseparable, and bureaucrats cannot take unilateral decisions in the name of the state. ”
Speakers at the event alleged that projects built with port funds are being handed over to foreign companies, threatening jobs and national interest.
They claimed that leasing the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) could put around 800 employees at risk and demanded full disclosure and investigation into the proposed agreements, citing concerns over transparency and national security.
Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hussain yesterday said the government will go ahead with the deal allowing UAE-based firm DP World to operate the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chittagong Port.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/leasing-port-terminal-without-disclosure-goes-against-public-interest-farhad-mazhar-4099681
