A hunger strike until death programme called to demand the scrapping of the deal that gave Dubai-based DP World the responsibility of operating the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chittagong Port has been suspended after protest leaders met Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam.
The leaders of the Port Jatiotabadi Sramik Dal and the Chittagong Port Protection Movement Council, which called the programme on Sunday night, made the announcement after the meeting.
The protest leaders met with Rabiul at the Ministry of Shipping in Dhaka and discussed various issues regarding the agreement.
The talks also discussed the job security of port employees and workers in all areas, including the NCT and Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT), the recruitment of people for all vacant positions, and the other demands of port workers.
One of the coordinators of the Chittagong Port Protection Movement, Md Ibrahim Khokon, told bdnews24.com on Monday morning: "Discussions were held with DP World on the management of NCT in the presence of the shipping minister and senior officials of the ministry.
"The government is taking our demands into consideration and working on them. Hopefully, we will be able to announce something positive soon. Aside from this, other demands, including appointments to vacant posts, were also discussed. Some processes have begun and, afterwards, a final decision will be made."
Ibrahim said Monday's previously announced hunger strike has been postponed due to the discussions and the prime minister's visit to Chattogram on Tuesday.
He said, "The programme has been postponed after considering everything. Any future programme will be announced in consideration of the situation."
The port workers' protest leaders had announced a hunger strike until death programme on Monday demanding the cancellation of the DP World agreement.
The programme was announced after a mass hunger strike in front of the port's One Stop Service Centre on Oct 12.
On that day, Ibrahim had said: "We have given the government time until the 18th for discussions. If no initiative is taken in the meantime, a hunger strike will be held here on the 19th of October."
On the afternoon of Oct 8, the government signed a concession agreement with DP World to operate the NCT at the Invest Bangladesh Auditorium in Dhaka. Chairman Rear Admiral Moniruzzaman of the Chittagong Port Authority and DP World Chairman Essa Kazim signed the deal.
That afternoon, the protesters announced a mass hunger strike from a protest near the main entrance of the port building.
For the past few years, several organisations have been protesting against the handover of NCT operations to a foreign entity.