The Left Democratic Alliance has stated that if the country’s port-related contract with a foreign company is not cancelled by 3 December, a programme to besiege the principal adviser’s residence ‘Jamuna’ will take place on 4 December. This announcement was made on Sunday (23 November) at a protest rally held in front of the National Press Club by the alliance coordinator and BASAD general secretary, Bazlur Rashid Firoz.
At the rally, he alleged that under Section 34 of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) law enacted during the Awami League government, disclosure of contract conditions is prohibited before the agreement, but there is no restriction on disclosure after the contract is signed. Nevertheless, the government is keeping the conditions secret and disregarding public interest. He said the reluctance to disclose the conditions indicates that the contract contains elements the government lacks the courage to present publicly.
Sajjad Zahir Chandan, president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), said that secrecy in contracts and concealing information never establishes the rule of law. He questioned how justice and transparency can be claimed in a country where contract terms are not revealed to the public.
Describing the port lease process as ‘opaque, irrational, and against national interest,’ BASAD (Marxist) coordinator Masud Rana said the government is portraying the country’s ports as ‘corrupt institutions’ internationally, which will become an ‘embarrassing chapter’ for the nation.
Mosrefa Mishu, president of the Garment Workers Unity Forum, stated that the decision is not consistent with the spirit of 2024. Handing over the country’s main ports to foreign entities is a self-destructive measure.
Khaborwala/TSN
