The High Court commenced hearings today regarding a plea requesting an order to maintain the current state of affairs on the government’s move to initiate the process of awarding the contract for container operations at Chattogram’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to UAE-based company DP World.
Justices Fatema Najib and Fatema Anwar presided over the proceedings and scheduled the next hearing for November 13. Bangladesh Jubo Arthanitibid Forum, a charitable organization, filed the petition as an addendum to an existing writ petition in the High Court last month. The petitioner’s lawyer, Barrister Md Anwar Hossen, expressed concerns that awarding the NCT handling contract to DP World, a wholly foreign entity, could jeopardize national interests and security.
The petition highlighted that the previous administration had planned to grant the container handling contract to DP World in 2019, with the current government now moving forward with the process. Legal representatives Zainul Abedin, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Ahansul Karim, Kayser Kamal, and Md Anwar Hossen represented the petitioners, while Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque represented the state during the proceedings.
In a related development, a separate High Court bench issued a rule on July 30 this year based on the same writ petition. The rule seeks explanations from relevant government authorities as to why the procedure for awarding the NCT’s container handling contract to DP World without an open tender process should not be deemed unlawful. The rule remains pending before the High Court.