Political analyst Farhad Mazhar today (December 22) called for a national plan to boost the capacity of the Chattogram port.

“The port is directly linked to urbanization. We need to develop a national plan for the type of port we want. All stakeholders need to come together and prepare a project or plan,” he said during the a discussion meeting at the Chattogram Circuit House.

“There is no point in spending millions of taka on this plan. We can do it ourselves,” he added.

The meeting, titled “Opening the Future: Strategies to Improve Chittagong Port Capacity”, organized by the Bondor Surokkha Committee, was attended by senior officials of the Chittagong Port Authority, representatives of various port stakeholders, union leaders and student anti-discrimination program coordinators. Movement.

Farhad, also a human rights activist, said: “For geopolitical reasons, the port is very important and it is linked to the economic development of the country. Likewise, there is a link between port efficiency and investments. »

Farhad Mazhar added: “People’s sovereignty means that power must be in the hands of the people, who must take charge of planning and implementing these plans.

“Economic development will occur if trade and investment are stable.”

He also emphasized political stability to achieve economic growth and foster relations with neighboring regions like Tripura, Meghalaya and West Bengal.

Speakers at the meeting criticized the previous Awami League government’s decision to allow transportation of Indian goods through Chattogram and Mongla ports, terming it a “black law” that harmed the country’s interests.

They demanded the cancellation of these agreements and called for the dismantling of unions operating at the port.

Stakeholders also opposed plans to hand over the port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to a foreign entity.