On Sunday, February 1, 2026, workers supporting Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port infrastructure staged a work action, halting operations at all terminals and surrounding warehouses and Customs offices.
The labor action surrounds a decision to allow DP World, a foreign company, to take complete control of Chittagong’s most important marine terminal. Local workers are concerned about job security and working conditions, as well as the broader national concern of handing a key source of Bangladesh’s future economic growth to foreign control.
The labor action continued through the early part of this week, essentially halting all operations and container flow for the past four days. During this time, more than 40 vessels anchored outside the port, waiting for operations to resume.
As of today, Thursday February 5, 2026, labor has returned to work and the port has reopened. However, there is now a significant backlog of cargo that will need to be cleared. Delays should be expected for cargo that was scheduled to arrive or depart during the work stoppage, as well as for shipments moving over the next several days.
Labor’s return to work has come with a demand that the Bangladesh interim government rescind the agreement granting DP World control of the terminal. If this demand is not met, labor actions are expected to resume by Sunday, February 8, 2026.
It appears unlikely that the Bangladesh government will revoke the permissions granted to DP World, potentially setting the stage for labor actions to resume for an indeterminate period of time.
We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available. If you have any questions about the impact of these labor actions on your cargo, please reach out to your Mohawk Global representative.
By Chris Lindstrand, Vice President, International Transportation