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CHITTAGONG May 13 (BSS): Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdullah Al Noman today urged the city mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury not to mislead the people on the issue of privatisation of the under-construction Newmooring Container Terminal (NCT).
"The people of Chittagong will resist any move to create a deadlock at the Chittagong Port for the sake of country's economy if you (Mohiuddin Chy) try to catch fish in troubled waters by carrying out false and misleading campaign on the issue of NCT privatisation," Noman, who is also central joint secretary general of BNP, said. He was addressing a big rally as the chief guest at the Dock Labour Booking ground here.
The rally was part of the week-long programme of the BNP city unit to protest the mayor's ultimatum to disrupt the port operation from May 19.
Speakers at the rally accused Mohiuddin Chowdhury of promoting provocative and destructive politics, making hostage the economic lifeline of the country for his political and personal gains and warned that he would be making a big mistake if he thinks that he can create a situation like that of 1996.
They also expressed their determination to foil the ultimatum of the mayor by joining hands with the business community, port users and workers to keep the port operational at any cost.
Mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury, who is also general secretary of city Awami League, at a series of public meetings recently threatened that he would stop the port operation from May 19 if the government does not scrap the current privatisation process of NCT and withdraw the transfer order of some gantry crane operators.
Whip and convenor of city unit of BNP Syed Wahidul Alam presided over the rally attended by a large number of workers of the port and of the shipping sector as well as BNP workers and leaders.
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