Shafiqul Alam, the Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, stated that the government intends to reform Chattogram Port and is not handing it over to anyone. He made these remarks on Sunday (May 25) at the ‘CMJF Talk’ event organized by the Capital Market Journalists Forum (CMJF) in Dhaka.

Shafiqul Alam said that they want the world’s biggest companies to be able to manage the port. “We are not giving the port to anyone. We want them to invest and manage the terminals. We have already received assurances from foreign investors who plan to invest three billion dollars.”

Regarding the upcoming national elections, Shafiqul Alam said the elections will be held by June 30 next year, and the Chief Adviser will not go beyond this timeline. He added that unlike the previous caretaker government, whose sole responsibility was to conduct elections, the current government is responsible for reforms, justice, and elections.

Earlier, on May 14, Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus visited Chattogram Port. He called the port the “heart of the economy” and said that the economy cannot be developed without it. He emphasized the need to transform it into a truly functional port and stated efforts are underway to make necessary changes.

Shafiqul Alam added, “In countries like ours, ports consist of multiple terminals — about 20 to 30 ports have similar terminal setups globally. Our ‘heart’ cannot survive long if it’s weak. Therefore, we must strengthen it. That is the challenge.”

Following the Chief Adviser’s remarks, speculation has been growing about the future of Chattogram Port. Political parties are demanding that the port should not be handed over to foreign entities, and many have taken to the streets in protest to oppose any foreign control over the port.