Police block workers' red-flag march towards Ctg Port

CHATTOGRAM, Dec 10: Police halted a red-flag procession of the Chattogram Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) in Agrabad area on Wednesday, as the group headed towards the port.
Hundreds of workers from different labour organisations joined the programme that began at 11:00 am. They pressed for the suspension of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) leasing process and the cancellation of lease deals for Laldiar Char and the Pangaon Terminal.
When the law-enforcers blocked the procession, the workers sat down on the road and held a rally. The rally was chaired by Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal's Chattogram divisional unit and former general secretary of Chattogram Port CBA. The event was conducted by Iftekhar Kamal Khan, joint secretary of Trade Union Center (TUC) Chattogram district committee.
Speaking as the chief guest, Tapan Dutta, president of TUC Chattogram district and a member of the Labour Reform Commission, said SKOP has been rolling out a series of programmes and public support has grown with every step.
"An unelected government has no moral or legal basis to decide on leasing key installations. Handing such facilities to foreign entities would undermine the country's sovereignty and security," he added.
Kazi Sheikh Nurullah Bahar dismissed allegations of widespread corruption in the port's operations, calling those an attempt to mislead people. He rejected the shipping adviser's claims that Tk 25 million in bribes changed hands daily.

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