Ctg Port’s move to recruit 100 watchmen angers trade unions

The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) is set to recruit over 100 watchmen for the port and the outer anchorage from one agency without following proper rules, sparking resentment among the watchman suppliers.

As per the watchman management and operation process, applications for watchman recruitment should be invited by publishing advertisements in newspapers and they should be supplied through the supplying agencies.

The CPA recruits watchmen through five agencies.

But this time CPA has been recruiting watchmen through a Chattogram Bandar Marine Contractor Sramik Jote without publishing any advertisement in this regard.

Chattogram Bandar Watchman Sangram Parishad General Secretary SM Azad said that the present recruitment process by the CPA is a violation of rules. The previously recruited watchmen are underloaded. It seems the process to recruit fresh 100 watchmen through a single agency has an ulterior motive, he added.     

Chattogram Bandar Marine Contractor League General Secretary M Fasiul Alam said that five agencies including Chattogram Bandar Marine Contractor Sramik League, Sramik Union, Sramik Jote, Jahaj Paharadar Samabay Samity and Jahaj Paharadar Bohumukhi Samabay Samity supply watchmen at the port.    

The irritated watchmen at the port said that the majority of the watchmen sit idle most of the time. On average, one watchman gets work for five to six days a month. 

CPA Deputy Director (Security/Operation) Major Md Wahidul Haque told The Business Standard that although 650 watchmen were recruited earlier, only 300 are active now and they receive wages on a daily basis. The process to recruit these 100 watchmen started two months back.

He admitted that no advertisement was published in this connection and one agency is supplying them.