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Published : 08 Feb 2026, 01:13 PM
Four export-oriented trade bodies -- the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF), and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) -- have written an open letter to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, urging him to keep the Chittagong Sea Port operational.
In the letter issued on Saturday, the organisations called for the strike announced at Chittagong Port to be resolved before the national election to continue economic stability in the country.
The letter said the interim government’s achievements in state reform and ensuring accountability have been widely applauded, adding that Yunus’s commitment to restoring democracy through a free, fair, and neutral national election is now at its final stage of implementation.
“With the election just four days away, a festive democratic environment and high expectations have emerged across the country. We express our full solidarity with it,” the letter said.
In the letter, the organisations also said the port, which was an “economic hub” had become “deeply stagnant.”
“The continuous strike and the call to halt operations at the outer anchorage by the Chittagong Port Protection Struggle Council have created serious concerns for industry and commerce. We believe every worker and employee at the port is a frontline partner in our economy’s progress,” the letter said.
“Therefore, at the critical moment of election, it is imperative to build mutual empathy and cooperation among all parties, including protesters and the port authority, in the greater interest of protecting industry, trade and commerce, and overall economic stability.”
The four organisations claimed that the announcement to suspend berthing and cargo handling at the port’s outer anchorage had almost brought the entire port to a standstill.
Highlighting potential losses if the port remains non-operational, the organisations said 99 percent of the country’s container handling and 78 percent of seaborne trade depended on Chittagong Port. Any disruption to export activities would cause irreparable damage to all major export sectors, including the readymade garments industry.
They also warned that if ships carrying essential consumer goods and industrial raw materials are not unloaded before the upcoming Ramadan, an artificial shortage could be created in the market, pushing prices beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Due to vessel congestion and suspended operations at the port, importers are having to pay huge amounts of foreign currency every day as demurrage charges, which the organisations described as a heavy burden on the national economy.
The letter further noted that the dispute over the leasing of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) has now reached a stage of conflict between port employees and the port authority. Legal actions and investigations against protesters have further complicated and intensified the situation, the organisations said.
The organisations sought the chief advisor’s direct intervention and sustainable solutions to uphold the national interest and keep the national economy running.
