In response to a writ petition filed by a pro-BNP organisation, the High Court on Wednesday issued a rule questioning the legality of awarding an unsolicited contract to the UAE-based company DP World for handling operations at the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) in Chattogram Port.
Bangladesh Jubo Arthanitibid Forum filed the writ petition on March 20, seeking the courtโs directive to ensure fair and competitive public bidding before appointing any operator.
The interim governmentโs attempt to favour DP World, a controversial company with links to the US Navy, has been met with severe criticism by many political parties, including the BNP, and civil society for several months.
BNPโs labour organisation, the Sramik Dal, has held protests and sit-in programmes in Chattogram.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) organised a long march in protest against the decision.
Meanwhile, the army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, said such a decision should be made by a political government, emphasising the need to consider the views of the people and political leaders.
In the face of protests, the government tasked the Bangladesh Navy to handle the port operations for six months from July 7 before awarding the job to DP World.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus defended his plan during his pre-Eid speech in June, when he urged people to resist the critics. He insisted that the move would not pose a security threat.
He said: โWe want Bangladesh to be established as the economic hub of South Asia. To achieve this, we have taken initiatives to increase the portโs capacity along with the development of investment services.
โIf this is not possible, the unemployment of millions and the economic crisis will persist.โ
He claimed that DP World was the most experienced company in port management, having experience in Europe, Canada, Australia, China, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa.
On April 9, Yunus sat with the DP World chief, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, at his office in Dhaka.
On Wednesday, the court asked authorities concerned to explain why the process for awarding the NCT’s container handling contract to DP World, a 100% foreign company, without holding any open tender, should not be declared illegal.
The bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice SK Tahsin Ali issued the rule.
Senior lawyers Zainul Abedin, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Ahansul Karim and Kayser Kamal and lawyer Md Anwar Hossen appeared for the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Mohaddes-Ul-Islam Tutul represented the state during the hearing on July 9.
The Awami League, despite its ouster, has seized the opportunity to criticise Yunus, accusing him of mirroring Hasinaโs alleged subservience to foreign powers. Smaller parties, including the Jatiya Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, have echoed these sentiments, framing the move as a threat to sovereignty.
Posts on social media reflect public sentiment, with users decrying the deal as a โnew colonial trapโ and questioning Yunusโ motives.
Security experts have amplified these concerns. Retired Major General Abdur Rashid, a former military strategist, argued, โChittagong Port is a lifeline for our economy and security. Allowing a US-linked firm like DP World to manage it could invite foreign military presence, jeopardising our independence.โ
Analysts point to DP Worldโs contracts with the US military in the Middle East as evidence of potential strategic intent. Journalists, already under pressure with over 260 facing murder charges since August 2024, have been vocal.
Prominent journalist Nobonita Chowdhury recently claimed on a podcast that the lease aligns with a US strategy to use Bangladesh as a proxy in regional conflicts, a view shared by colleagues who face censorship and job losses for such reporting.
The Rakhine corridor proposal has further fueled opposition. Prince warned that it could drag Bangladesh into Myanmarโs civil war, serving US interests to counter China.
This aligns with security expert assessments that the corridor, framed as humanitarian, might facilitate military logistics, drawing ire from India, which fears refugee influxes, and China, which sees it as a US ploy to disrupt its Myanmar investments.
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