The temporary break in the Chattogram port strike that came after six full days of disruption did little to ease tensions. Port workers have flat-out warned that operations may be shut down again as early as tomorrow unless the government scraps the deal with DP World for the New Mooring Container Terminal. With nearly all of Bangladesh's export-import trade flowing through this single maritime gateway, such persistent uncertainty keeps everyone on edge and ensures the crisis remains very much alive. While the interim government managed to buy this short breathing space through direct talks with labour leaders, the core disagreement over leasing the terminal to a foreign operator remains unresolved. At this point, it's clear the interim government is stuck between two tough choices. On the one hand, backing out of an agreement with a global port operator after making a commitment would damage Bangladesh's reputation for honouring contracts and send a negative signal to foreign investors. On the other hand, pushing ahead in the face of such fierce and organised resistance is to invite a wider confrontation.

There is little room to deny that Bangladesh urgently needs a much more efficient setup at its main port. For far too long, constant congestion, slow ship turnaround times and high logistics costs have steadily undermined the country's export competitiveness. Realistically, expecting a local operator to suddenly step up and meet global efficiency benchmarks without major technological and managerial upgrades simply isn't feasible. If the objective is to transform Chattogram into a modern port capable of supporting export growth, looking outward for expertise is a rational step forward. Sound outcomes, however, depend on sound processes and that is precisely where the current approach raises serious questions. Given the interim government's limited mandate and its primary responsibility to organise credible elections, was it really necessary to push through a long-term terminal lease at this juncture? Even if leasing out was deemed unavoidable, bypassing an open tendering process has created entirely avoidable suspicion. Open competition is not merely a procedural formality. Rather, it remains the most effective way to ensure transparency, value for money and public trust. Had such a process been followed, DP World might well have emerged as the winner, but the decision would have carried genuine legitimacy and deprived opponents of their main grievance. The apparent haste instead turned what could have been a technocratic improvement into a political flashpoint nobody needed.

The economic cost of the port deadlock is already enormous and continues to mount with each passing day. The strike has already racked up losses in the tens of billions of taka daily across the whole trade chain, hammering everyone from the revenue authority to importers and exporters. Far worse though is the longer-term danger that cannot be ignored. In global supply chains, reliability matters more than almost anything else. Once that reliability is shaken by prolonged disruptions like this, buyer confidence erodes faster than any price hike ever could.

Adding to the pressure, tariffs on Indian goods are now poised to drop as low as 18 per cent in the US while India has secured a major trade deal with the EU. As a direct consequence, Bangladesh exporters suddenly confront fierce and unrelenting competition from a powerful regional rival. In this increasingly intense global environment, self-inflicted disruptions such as prolonged port shutdown have become completely intolerable. This is why the current standoff demands an urgent and sensible resolution. The government must communicate clearly and engage workers without allowing the national economy to be held hostage. At the same time, labour leaders must recognise that resisting all change in the name of protection harms the very industries and jobs they seek to defend.