Workers and employees at Chattogram Port began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, demanding cancellation of the lease of the NCT terminal to foreign company DP World and withdrawal of mass transfer orders. The strike was announced a day earlier by the Port Protection Struggle Council, coordinated by Md. Ibrahim Khokon. Council coordinator Md. Humayun Kabir said the protest would continue until the government withdraws from the lease process. Since morning, no trucks or lorries have entered the port, and workers have refrained from duty.

The strike follows three consecutive days of eight-hour blockades organized by labor groups including the Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad and Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal. Port activities such as container handling, cargo delivery, and vehicle movement have come to a standstill, though unloading from large to small vessels at outer anchorage continues. Over a hundred ships are reportedly waiting offshore, many carrying Ramadan consumer goods.

Labor leaders and importers blame the government and port authority for the deadlock, while a shipping adviser stated the timing of the protest before Ramadan would be investigated for possible intent to raise prices.