Mongla, August 4 (V7N) – The Mongla Port area turned tense again on Sunday afternoon as employees staged protests demanding the immediate holding of long-delayed CBA (Collective Bargaining Agent) elections and an end to alleged financial irregularities and harassment by the port’s ad hoc committee.
 
Around 5:30 PM, more than 300 port employees gathered in front of the CBA office to rally against the current leadership, accusing the ad hoc committee of intentionally stalling the electoral process, misappropriating union funds, and filing fabricated legal cases against five senior port officials and former union leaders.
 
Speaking at the protest, former CBA president Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, former general secretary Khurshid Alam Poltu, and labor representatives Farhad Hossain and Moniruzzaman expressed frustration over what they termed a breakdown in employee representation and union accountability.
 
According to union leaders, on August 8, 2024, the Regional Labor Department approved the formation of an ad hoc committee and an election commission tasked with holding the CBA’s biennial elections within 45 days. However, the committee’s convener, MPA employee Matiur Rahman Sakib, and member secretary Md. Asif Naim allegedly failed to hold elections within the mandated period, instead becoming entangled in legal actions and internal conflicts.
 
Employees allege that the ad hoc committee has withdrawn funds from the CBA’s bank account without proper authorization and that attempts to question these actions were met with retaliation. Several current and former port officials have reportedly been named in what workers claim are false legal cases intended to suppress opposition. There are also allegations that the membership of prospective CBA candidates has been unlawfully terminated to prevent them from contesting future elections.
 
Protesters warned that the delay in holding elections and lack of accountability are undermining normal port operations and depriving employees of their right to representation. They demanded immediate administrative intervention and a fresh election schedule.
 
In response to the allegations, ad hoc committee convener Matiur Rahman Sakib denied claims of misconduct and said the delay in elections was due to unresolved legal complexities. He declined to comment on the alleged unauthorized withdrawal of funds from the CBA’s bank account.
 
The protest is the latest in a series of tensions at Mongla Port, reflecting growing unrest among staff over administrative decisions and union transparency.
 
END/AHS/SMA/