Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Friday defended the recent agreement regarding the New Mooring Container Terminal at Chittagong Port, stating that the deal was aimed directly at increasing the terminal’s capacity and operational efficiency. He emphasized that the agreement was concluded for a fixed term, after which Bangladesh retains the sovereign right to either renew or terminate the arrangement. Describing criticism of the deal as selling out the country, the minister dismissed such claims as cheap and baseless.
The minister made the remarks while responding to journalists after an exchange meeting and a grant distribution ceremony organized by Sylhet City Corporation to mark Durga Puja. The responsibility for operating the New Mooring Container Terminal, which serves as the largest terminal at Chittagong Port, has been awarded to Dubai-based global terminal operator DP World under a 15-year concession agreement formally signed on Thursday.
Addressing reporters, Muktadir stressed that Bangladesh must make its production and export costs competitive with those of peer nations in order to attract crucial foreign investment as well as new capital from domestic entrepreneurs. Questioning critics, he asked how the government could attract investments without successfully making the country competitive in the global market. He reiterated that the government pursued the port agreement specifically to elevate operational standards at Chittagong Port.
Providing assurances regarding the workforce, the commerce minister explicitly stated that no current employee at the port would lose their job as a result of the concession. He added that enhanced port efficiency would ultimately yield greater benefits for workers, including higher remuneration than they currently receive.
Why it matters
The commerce minister's defence of the DP World port agreement underscores the government's strategy to leverage foreign investment for national export competitiveness despite domestic political pushback.