Fresh petition filed in SC seeking status quo on DP World contract for NCT

Bangladesh Jubo Arthanitibid Forum, a philanthropic organisation, today filed a fresh petition before a Supreme Court chamber judge seeking an order of status quo on the government’s move to award the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), Chattogram contract to UAE‑based DP World.

The petition requests suspension of the contract process until a leave to appeal petition is filed against the recent High Court (HC) verdict that upheld the government’s decision.

Justice Farah Mahbub, chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC, fixed Tuesday for hearing of the petition, according to Barrister Md Anwar Hossen, lawyer for the petitioners.

Senior lawyers Ahsanul Karim and Syed Mamun Mahbub also appeared for the petitioner, while Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque represented the state.

Citing the petition, Barrister Anwar told The Daily Star that with the national parliamentary election imminent, executing the contract at such a critical juncture amounts to “executive high‑handedness, arbitrariness, and malafide exercise of power.”

If the court is not pleased to pass an order of status-quo in respect of awarding the contract for the NCT till filing of the leave to appeal petition in view of the changed and compelling circumstances, the petitioners will suffer irreparable loss and injury, and the rights and interests of the public at large will be materially prejudiced, he added.

On January 29, another chamber judge, Justice Md Rezaul Haque, passed “no order” on a similar petition, advising the forum to file a leave to appeal petition after receiving the certified HC verdict.

Earlier that same day, the HC had rejected the writ petition challenging the legality of awarding the contract to DP World.

Meanwhile, operations at Chattogram port reportedly came to a standstill on Saturday over the planned handover of the NCT. The government and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) are negotiating the contract with DP World, but worker organisations have staged fresh protests, including an eight‑hour strike on Saturday.