Bangladesh signed a 15-year concession agreement on Thursday with UAE‑based DP World to modernise and operate a major container terminal at the country’s busiest seaport, as police dispersed protesters opposing the deal, Anadolu reports.
The agreement covers the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chattogram Port, which handles roughly 44 % of the port’s container traffic.
Chattogram Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral Md Moniruzzaman and DP World Chairman Essa Kazim signed the deal in Dhaka, according to a government statement.
Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam and UAE Ambassador Abdulla Ali Al Hamoudi attended the ceremony.
Under the terms, DP World will modernise and operate the terminal while ownership of the land and infrastructure remains with Bangladesh.
The NCT was previously run by Chittagong Dry Dock Limited, a state‑owned firm managed by the Bangladesh Navy, which took over in July 2025 after the nearly 18‑year tenure of private operator Saif Powertec ended.
Meanwhile, police baton‑charged demonstrators outside the signing venue, dispersing activists from several left‑wing organisations, including the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), according to local daily Prothom Alo.
CPB President Sazzad Zahir Chandan accused the government of compromising national sovereignty through the agreement.
The party said several protesters, including Chandan, were injured.
The agreement comes as Bangladesh expands foreign participation in port operations, including a separate Saudi‑operated terminal at Chattogram.
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