Monjurul Haque alleged that Yunus made assurances to the United States to establish a military base in a strategic buffer zone\u2014potentially in Teknaf, Saint Martin\u2019s Island, Shilkhali, or Cox\u2019s Bazar\u2014and to transfer management of Chittagong Port to a multinational corporation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While outsourcing port operations to foreign entities is not uncommon in East Asia and beyond, Monjurul Haque dismissed Yunus\u2019s vision as unrealistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYunus claims our workers will learn port management from foreign operators and secure jobs abroad, generating substantial remittances,\u201d he remarked. \u201cThis is an implausible fantasy, a pretext for decisions that serve external interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
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Monjurul Haque emphasized Bangladesh\u2019s economic constraints, noting that while the country excels in exporting ready-made garments and rawhide, it lacks the capacity to export rice, jute, tea, or IT services sustainably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe notion that in a decade our workers will master port operations and secure lucrative foreign contracts is a hollow promise,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of vague assurances, he suggested Yunus could have been transparent about his commitments, proposing that Bangladesh learn port management from nations like South Korea, Oman, or Kuwait without ceding control of Chittagong Port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The journalist drew a historical parallel to the East India Company, which began with a modest request to anchor ships and ultimately colonized India for two centuries. \u201cThis is the pattern of imperialist agendas,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n