Cross-border elements fuelling industrial unrest: PM

BAGERHAT & MONGLA, Nov 05: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has alleged that certain groups operating from across the border are instigating garment workers and orchestrating industrial unrest to destabilise Bangladesh and damage its economy.

He said no genuine worker would want to destroy the factories that provide their livelihoods, but some groups were visiting industrial establishments and vandalising machinery, vehicles and other equipment.

“While we are working to expand industries and create employment opportunities across the country, attempts are being made from across the border to create disorder among workers,” the Prime Minister said at a roadside rally at Katakhali intersection in Fakirhat upazila of Bagerhat on Thursday.

He alleged that individuals who had looted national resources and fled abroad following the political upheaval were now operating from across the border to incite unrest.

Warning that factory destruction would hurt workers, their families and the national economy, he said the government wanted to establish thousands of industries stretching from Khulna to Panchagarh to create jobs for young people and develop economically neglected regions.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh had built a substantial industrial base, particularly in the garment sector, over the past five decades, earning significant foreign exchange through exports. Certain vested quarters, he alleged, wanted to undermine these achievements for their own interests.

Recalling Khulna's former industrial prominence, he said many mills and factories had closed over the years. The government was committed to reopening them and attracting domestic and foreign investment to establish new industries.

Addressing the recent labour unrest in Dhaka and other industrial areas, Tarique acknowledged that workers had legitimate demands concerning wages and other benefits.

*    Vows new wage structure in two months
*    Launches Tk 4,068cr Mongla Port project

A wage board had already been formed and started working to examine their demands. A new wage structure would be finalised within the next one to two months, he announced.

He urged workers and the public to remain alert against attempts to create disorder and collectively resist those seeking to damage industrial establishments.

The rally was attended by Shipping, Road Transport and Bridges and Railways Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam, Shipping State Minister Md Rajib Ahsan, Environment and Climate Affairs State Minister Dr Sheikh Faridul Islam, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources State Minister Anindya Islam Amit and Khulna City Corporation Mayor Nazrul Islam Manju, among others.

After the rally, the Prime Minister visited the shrine of Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali (R) in Bagerhat before leaving for Khulna.

Meanwhile, Tarique Rahman laid the foundation stone of a Tk 4,068.23 crore project to expand and modernise Mongla Port, aiming to increase its handling capacity, strengthen international trade and attract investment to the southwestern region.

Addressing the ceremony at Jetty No. 9 of Mongla Port Authority, he said the project would boost the port's capacity and generate economic momentum across the region.

“Road connectivity and an industrial corridor will be developed from Mongla to Panchagarh. There are plans to ensure a quick supply of gas to industries in Mongla, while emphasis has also been placed on renewable energy,” he said.

The four-year project, titled 'Expansion and Modernisation of Mongla Port Facilities', has an estimated cost of US$335.78 million, equivalent to Tk 4,068.23 crore. It includes construction of the port authority's 10th and 11th jetties, container yards and other modern facilities.

Mongla Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral Arif Ahmed Mostafa said the project would include two modern jetties, container handling yards, a dedicated yard for dangerous cargo and 49 pieces of equipment.

The proposed jetty will measure 368 metres by 40 metres and accommodate either two 20,000-deadweight-tonne vessels simultaneously or one 50,000-DWT vessel.

Major equipment will include four ship-to-shore cranes, seven rubber-tyred gantry cranes, 10 terminal tractors, 10 terminal trailers and other container-handling machinery.

Upon completion, the port is expected to handle 30 containers per hour and 400,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually. Automated operations and improved storage facilities are also expected to reduce handling costs and pave the way for Mongla to become Bangladesh's first smart port.

The project is expected to benefit exporters, importers, shipping agents and industrial organisations, including the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA). It is also expected to generate employment and stimulate industrial and commercial activities in the southwestern region.

The project originated from a memorandum of understanding signed during the Chinese president's visit to Bangladesh on October 14, 2016. A subsequent agreement was signed with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in August 2021 for implementation under a government-to-government arrangement.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the project on February 2, 2025, and the commercial contract was signed on March 25 that year.

Bangladesh and the Export-Import Bank of China signed a loan agreement worth approximately Tk 3,592.90 crore on October 10, 2026, following a framework agreement between the two countries in June.

The project is expected to strengthen multimodal connectivity, expand regional trade with neighbouring countries and improve Bangladesh's competitiveness in international maritime commerce.

Chinese dignitaries, including CRCC Chairman Dai Hegen, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy Song Yang and CCECC Chairman Li Chongyang, attended the ceremony, along with senior government officials.

The Prime Minister planted a tree near the venue after the ceremony. A special prayer was also offered for the successful implementation of the project and the country's prosperity.