Fresh movement in Ctg port

CHITTAGONG, August 25: Chittagong city Awami League president and former city mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury Monday alleged that a new conspiracy is going on centring the Chittagong Port.
He vowed to resist the vested quarters engaged in the conspiracy, and urged the government to blacklist Saif Powertec, the berth operator.
He also announced a grand rally of port workers on August 27 (Wednesday) in front of the Bandar Bhaban (CPA head office).
Mr Mohiuddin mentioned these in a written statement at a press conference at the Chittagong Press Club. In it he claimed himself as the convenor of Chattagram Bandar Raksha Parishad (CBRP) or Chittagong Port Protection Council.
However, there is a regular committee of CBRP, headed by Momtaz Uddin and Wahidullah Sarkar as president and general secretary respectively.
Wahidullah Sarkar read out the written statement on behalf of Mohiuddin Chowdhury, who signed the paper as the convenor of CBRP.
Mr Mohiuddin said Saif Powertec is directly involved in the conspiracy to bring the port under its grip and extract millions of Taka through illegal means.
He placed three demands in the press conference, including blacklisting Saif Powertec, and scrapping all contracts signed between the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and Saif Powertec regarding CCT (Chittagong Container Terminal), NMCT (New Mooring Container Terminal) and Kamalapur ICD.
Besides, identifying the people and bodies beyond CPA and shipping ministry, involved in creating a chance to have a strong hold on CPA's cargo handling activities, through investigation by a powerful committee.
His demands also included taking a quick decision regarding procuring equipments for NMCT from CPA's fund, and run the terminal by CPA itself.
"Otherwise the workers and employees will not back themselves out from the ongoing movement against Saif Powertec," Mr Mohiuddin said.
"We resisted SSA (Stevedoring Services of America), which tried to set up a private port at the estuary of the Karnaphuli during the nineties. SSA has come again to the port in guise of Saif Powertec, and is trying to grab it."
"CPA cannot take any action against the breach of contract by Saif Powertec, as the port authority and shipping ministry have been held hostage by the influential quarters," he said in reply to a query.
He alleged that Saif Powertec has been handling cargo in three berths of CCT and two berths of NMCT since May 2007 under DPM (direct procurement method), which goes against the PPR (public procurement rules).
Mr Mohiuddin further said Saif Powertec entered the port as a supplier of operators of gantry cranes during the previous four-party alliance government regime, and it was severely criticized at that time.
"The company was neither a stevedoring agency nor was involved in cargo handling activities of the port, though stevedoring and cargo handling are the prime functions of the port. It does not have the license of CPA that is required to do the job, and also has no prior experience as per the port's work manual," he added.
Among others, local leaders of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Indu Nandan Datta and Jashimuddin Babul, Muktijoddha Sangsad district unit commander Shahabuddin and city unit commander Mozaffar Ahmed, NAP leader Ali Ahsan Nazir, Jatiya Shramik League leader Bakhtiar Uddin Khan, Dock Shramik League union president Iskandar Meah, and Berth and Ship Handling Operators Association vice president MA Bakkar were present in the press conference.