Public interest will be prioritised over NCT deal, says shipping minister

The issue resurfaces after the interim government backed away from signing a deal with UAE-based DP World in February in the face of a workers’ movement

Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam has said the government will put public and national interests first as it reviews the proposed deal to hand over operations of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) in Chattogram to a foreign company.

Speaking at an event at the National Maritime Institute in the port city on Saturday, he said that the government was still examining different aspects of the proposed agreement.

“The government is considering the interests of the state and the people, and those will be given priority. The matter remains where it was before. We are analysing its different aspects.”

Rabiul said the government was reviewing how national interests could be protected, how the port’s security could be ensured and what technology Bangladesh needed to improve port operations over time.

The issue resurfaced after the erstwhile interim government backed away from signing a deal with UAE-based DP World on Feb 8, four days before the general election, in the face of a workers’ movement.

Later, on Mar 12, the Appellate Division upheld a High Court ruling that dismissed an previous order questioning the validity of the process to appoint a foreign operator.

During the event, Rabiul was asked about the issue for the first time since the BNP government took office after the Feb 12 polls.

Referring to the proposed agreement, he said the government was weighing the benefits it could bring.

At the same time, he raised the question of whether handing the terminal to another company could affect the port’s gradually improving operational capacity.

He reiterated prioritising public interest, noting that the BNP came to power with a “brute majority” based on public trust.