A 22-year lease agreement for Dhaka’s Keraniganj-based Pangao Inland Container Port with Swiss company Medlog has sparked controversy over alleged links to banned Awami League leader and former minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury. Sources claim Medlog is affiliated with Chowdhury’s Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The deal, signed on November 17 between Chittagong Port Authority and Medlog Bangladesh Ltd, was reportedly finalized within days, raising concerns among port officials, workers, and civil society groups. Critics argue that the rushed process and lack of transparency could jeopardize national interests, sovereignty, and local employment. Labor unions fear job losses for the 391 registered port workers if foreign management replaces them with its own staff. Officials from the Chittagong Port Authority maintain that the lease was awarded through a proper tender process and that local workers will not be displaced. However, demands persist for the full disclosure of the contract terms and for assurances regarding national control and worker rights.