Fifteen Employees Transferred to Mongla, Payra

Fifteen employees of the Chittagong Port, involved in protests against the leasing of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), have been transferred to Mongla Port in Khulna and Payra Port in Patuakhali. Among those transferred are two coordinators who have been leading the ongoing protest. The transfers were officially announced on Monday via an office order issued by the Ministry of Shipping.

According to the order signed by Md. Belayet Hossain, Assistant Secretary of the Ministry, the transfers were carried out “in the interest of official duty and for proper allocation of personnel.” Of the 15 employees, seven have been reassigned to Mongla Port, while eight will now serve at Payra Port.

Previously, the port authorities had issued three separate orders transferring these employees to the Kamalapur Container Depot in Dhaka and the Panigaon Naval Terminal in Keraniganj. However, none of the staff reported to these postings. The latest order therefore reassigns them to the two ports and officially attaches them to their new duties.

The employees’ protest began on Saturday following the government’s decision to lease NCT to the UAE-based company DP World. Since then, workers have staged eight-hour work stoppages daily. On Monday, the third day of the demonstration, port operations were disrupted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Chittagong Port Protection Struggle Council has called for a continuous 24-hour strike on Tuesday to demand the cancellation of the lease and the reversal of transfers.

The Ministry of Shipping’s order specifically transfers Md. Humayun Kabir, coordinator of both the Chittagong Port Protection Struggle Council and the Nationalist Port Workers’ Party, to Mongla Port. Another coordinator, Md. Ibrahim Khokon, has been moved to Payra Port. The remaining staff transferred are as follows:

 Md. Ibrahim Khokon stated, “This transfer appears to be aimed at suppressing the ongoing protest against the NCT lease. We will intensify our movement, demanding both the cancellation of the lease and reversal of these transfers.”

Observers note that the transfers may complicate port operations and heighten tensions between workers and the authorities. The Ministry has yet to indicate whether further dialogue with the striking employees will take place.