The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a High Court verdict that allowed a government move to award the container handling contract of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chittagong Port to a foreign company.
The apex court dismissed a leave-to-appeal petition filed challenging the High Court verdict that upheld the government's move.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury delivered the verdict.
Barrister Md Anwar Hossen, one of the counsels representing the petitioners, confirmed the development.
Bangladesh Jubo Arthanitibid Forum, a philanthropic organisation, filed the leave-to-appeal petition on February 5 this year against the High Court verdict.
The High Court on January 29 last discharged a rule that questioned the legality of the government's action to award the container handling contract of the NCT to the UAE-based company DP World.
The Awami League-led government signed an MoU with the UAE-based company DP World on February 17, 2019 to operate the terminal under a PPP (public-private partnership) arrangement.
During the interim government headed by Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) moved to proceed with awarding the contract to the DP World.
However, the legality of this initiative was subsequently challenged through a writ petition, filed on March 20 last year by the Bangladesh Jubo Arthanitibid Forum.
The writ petitioner later on January 29 moved the apex court against the High Court verdict.
Lawyers Ahsanul Karim, Syed Mamun Mahbub and Md Anwar Hossen appeared in the court on behalf of the writ petitioner, while Additional Attorney General Aneeq R Haque represented the state.
The New Mooring Container Terminal, constructed in 2007 at a cost of Tk 27.12 billion, handles a large share of Chittagong port's import and export containers.
The terminal was previously operated by Saif Powertech Limited, whose contract expired on July 6 in 2025. It is currently being run by Chattogram Dry Dock Limited, a company owned by Bangladesh Navy.
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