A local business enterprise has served legal notice seeking steps for cancellation of 'secret agreements' with foreign companies to operate container depots of Chattogram Port Authority (CPA).
The agreements were reportedly signed during the ousted autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina without floating public tender that facilitated the foreign companies to handle the facilities built by CPA’s own fund.
On behalf of Md. Rafiqul Islam, owner of local business firm - Banglamark Corporation, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Md. Anowar Hossain served the legal notice on Wednesday to the Shipping Ministry, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and Public Private Partnership Authority.
“Quite a large amount of foreign currency will stream out from Bangladesh besides enshrinking jobs for local manpower if those container terminals are given to foreign operators”, the notice mentioned.
In the notice, it also mentioned that allowing foreign operators to handle the facilities will pose a threat to the country’s security as a number of sensitive installations located around Chattogram port.
Such unfair and secret deals will deprive capable and experienced domestic container handling operators, it added.
The notice also said that the government can invite foreign investors to build new container facilities around the port and float public tender for their operations keeping scope to join in the competitive bid for both interested local and international operators.
