Overview
- About 200 dock workers at Bangladesh’s largest port walked off the job Saturday to oppose plans to lease terminal operations to foreign firms.
- State-run BSS reports DP World has expressed interest in the New Mooring Container Terminal and A.P. Moller–Maersk in the Laldia facility.
- Shipping ministry senior secretary Mohammed Yousuf said agreements with operators are expected to be signed by December 2025.
- Port officials and freight forwarders argue global operators would modernize facilities, expand capacity, and raise revenue.
- Unions and ship owners warn leasing would erode domestic control and jeopardize jobs, with critics also questioning the interim cabinet’s mandate ahead of February 2026 elections.