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Chittagong
Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury addresses the 1000 delegates attending the
National Convention to "Save Our Port, Save Our Country" held
in Chittagong on March 18, 2004
National
Convention to "Save Chittagong, Save the Country":
1000 Delegates to Bangladesh Conference Applaud Presence of
ILWU Local 10 Exec. Bd. Member Clarence Thomas
(The
following article is based on reports from Clarence Thomas, Tafazzul
Hussain and François Forgue.)
The March 18
National Convention to "Save Chittagong, Save the Country"
gathered more than 1,000 unionists and activists in Chittagong,
Bangladesh. Participants came from across Bangladesh. Invited guests
were present from Pakistan, India, France and the United States.
The opening
speech was presented by Shariat Ullah, general secretary of the
Chittagong Port Workers Union, who gave a detailed account of the
protracted struggle by the dockworkers to save their port and their jobs
from privatization by Stevedoring Services of America (SSA). This is the
same company that was awarded the contract to take over the port of Umm
Qasr in Iraq and that has been out to break the ILWU union on the
Western U.S. seabord.
Another
featured speaker was Sk Shahidullah, convener of the Save Oil, Gas,
Port, and Power National Committee, whose speech placed the struggle of
the portworkers in the context of the nationwide fight to defend and
preserve all public services and enterprises placed on the chopping
block by the government at the behest of the IMF and World Bank.
One of the
highlights of the opening session of the National Convention was the
presentation by ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, mayor of Chittagong. After
reviewing the many maneuvers by SSA to try to take over the port of
Chittagong, the mayor declared:
"I
salute the presence at our National Convention of Brother Clarence
Thomas from the ILWU in the United States. I want to thank him for
everything he is doing for our city. I salute him as a representative of
the American people, which I do not confuse with the American
administration and system. I condemn that system. The United States
today wishes to control the port of Chittagong so that they can control
our entire sub-continent. They have taken over Afghanistan and Iraq. And
they want more. They conquer countries in order to destroy them."
Clarence
Thomas, who represented ILWU Local 10 at this gathering, then spoke. He
recounted the bitter struggles waged by the longshore workers in the
United States against SSA, explaining to the Bangladeshi workers that
"your struggle is our struggle, just like our struggle is your
struggle."
Thomas noted
that what SSA is seeking to do to the portworkers in Chittagong is what
it has attempted to do to longshore workers in the United States. He
went on to talk about the March 20th antiwar demonstrations around the
world and the fight of the Oakland 25, who are facing criminal charges
for picketing SSA in an antiwar protest on the Oakland docks om April 7,
2003. Thomas concluded his remarks with the ILWU's longstanding battle
cry, "An Injury to One, Is An Injury to All!"
Thomas's
presentation was met with a standing ovation and prolonged applause.
At the
closure of the National Convention, the delegates approved by unanimity
the Final Declaration prepared by the convention conveners and presented
to the gathering by Taffazul Hussain, president of the Bangladesh
National Workers Federation. [See accompanying Final Declaration.]
The day
after the convention, Thomas interviewed the mayor of Chittagong for the
ILWU's Dispatcher newspaper.
Mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury told Thomas, on tape and in the presence of
convention delegates from other countries, that in June 1999 then-U.S.
Ambassador to Bangladesh, John C. Holzman, had offered him $10 million
"to persuade" him that city of Chittagong needed the new $600
million port facility that SSA was planning to build near Chittagong.
"Ambassador
Holzman told me that if I didn't accept the money, I would lose my post
in the next election," Mayor Chowdhury stated. “This was
outrageous. ... I want working people in the United States to know what
their government's representatives are up to.”
Of course,
the mayor did not accept the money, as a new SSA port facility would
have led to the closing of the port of Chittagong and the destruction of
the workforce and entire community. At the time, moreover, the mayor
went public with the disclosure that U.S. Ambassador John Holzman had
attempted to bribe him into supporting the building of the SSA port
facility.
Five years
later, the mayor (who did not lose his re-election bid) and the people
of Chittagong are still battling SSA and its U.S. government sponsors to
save their port and their city. In the aftermath of the U.S. invasion of
Iraq, Mayor Chowdhury is particularly concerned that an SSA terminal
alongside the port of Chittagong could be used as a military facility by
the United States to control the entire region.
*******************
“SAVE CHITTAGONG, SAVE COUNTRY” NATIONAL CONVENTION
FINAL CHITTAGONG DECLARATION.
On 18th
March 2004, we met in a national convention held in Chittagong,
Bangladesh. One thousand of us came from the various parts of the
country. We came from Khulna, Mongla, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Dhaka
-- and we came from all parts and trades of Chittagong. Among us there
were trade union leaders, workers, peasants, youth, students,
professional educators and intellectuals.
Throughout
the whole day we heard presentations from speakers, prominent among whom
were:
-
Mr. Sk
Shahidullah, Convener, "Save Oil, Gas, Port, Power National
Committee";
-
Clarence
Thomas, Executive board member, ILWU Local 10 (United States);
-
Tafazzul
Hussain, President, Democratic Workers Party of Bangladesh;
-
Alhaj
A.B.M. Mahiudding Chowdhury, Mayor of Chittagong;
-
Ahsan
ullah Choudhury, Veteran port worker leader;
-
Mostaque
Ahmed, President, Chittagong Journalists Union;
-
Jamal
Nazrul, Professor of Islam, Chittagong university;
-
Dr.
Mahfuzur Rahaman , Freedom fighter & BSD leader;
-
Abu Taher
and Azizul Hague, Rail workers' leaders;
-
Sunil Aice,
Port worker leader;
-
Ranesh
Barua, C&F leader;
-
Majibor
Rahaman, National Workers Federation leader from Dinajpur;
-
Mrs. Abida
Sultana, President, Chittagong Women's Association;
-
C. Khaliquzzaman, Convener BSD;
-
C. Bazlus
Sattar. Comrade Gulzar Ahmed Choudhury, General Secretary, All Pakistan
Trade Union Federation (Pakistan);
-
C. Chandan
Sanyal, General Secretary, National Federation of Sales Representatives
(India);
A message
from the ILC was delivered by C. François Forgue. In addition, 21
messages of international solidarity were read in the convention.
The main
presentation to the convention was delivered by comrade Shariat Ullah,
General Secretary of the Chittagong Port Workers Union. It explained in
detail the disastrous scenario resulting from the privatization and
conspiracy to hand over our land to the U.S. corporation SSA.
Our poor but
resourceful country is passing a dreadful juncture of history. All our
industries, agriculture, health services, transport, railway, education
and even daily life are being destroyed by the onslaught of the
imperialist capital. Under these circumstances, the holding of this
convention was necessary -- not only because our establishments and
wealth are at a stake, but because our independence and sovereignty are
under serious jeopardy by this onslaught.
This
convention was of utmost necessity because we believe that the struggle
against privatization and imperialist plunder has to be given an
international dimension. This is because these international plunderers
are not only attacking our wealth, they are playing havoc everywhere in
the world. As such, to fight back these international looters, there is
no alternative but to globalize our resistance. The facts given by the
speakers provide ample proof of how important it is to hold a national
convention to save the country.
It was
planned to sell the land to SSA to build a private port in 1997. An
agreement was signed with SSA in 1998. As per this agreement, SSA will
build a $500-million port facility. But the workers of the Chittagong
port staged a vehement opposition to this plan of privatization. In this
resistance, the heroic people of Chittagong joined the workers. The
resistance movement got momentum in 2001. The fierce movement, the long
march and the human chain gave impetus to the anti-privatization
movement.
At the same
time, the High Court & Supreme Court declared some of the clauses of
the agreement as unlawful. As a result, the construction of this private
port is halted for the time being. But the conspiracy has not stopped.
Previous U.S. Ambassadors to Bangladesh -- Mr. Holzman, Mary Ann Peters
and present Ambassador H. K. Thomas -- have continued their shameless
advocacy in favor of SSA. The corrupt bureaucrats, collaborators and
politicians have joined them in their misdeeds. This convention declares
strong opposition to their heinous activities.
Clarence
Thomas informed us all about SSA. It is the fourth largest stevedoring
company in the world and operates in 14 countries. It has been given the
control of the port of Umm Qassr in Iraq by the occupation authorities.
In the United States, SSA has a long record of attempting to destroy the
trade union movement. If SSA reaches its goal, the workers of Chittagong
harbor will be deprived of their jobs, their benefits and their
rights.
We must save
Bangladesh and for that we issue this clarion call to support our cause
to all the organization, trade unions and individuals -- to all those
who are committed to uphold democracy, human and workers' rights. In
spite of our political differences and diversified views, we are sure to
build a joint resistance against the aggressor to save every inch of our
motherland.
Bangladesh will survive, if we
are able to halt the present form of plundering by the imperialist
capital. For this we must build a united resistance whatever legitimate
political differences may exist among us.
We have to fight all attempts to forge enmity between ethnic
groups and communities. We have to refuse to be divided by religious and
sectarian differences.
Privatization
is our common enemy; privatization is of the root of our destruction.
Privatization means plunder of our wealth and economy.
Today this
evil power of imperialist capital is exploiting the whole world in the
same pace. By instigating conflict between ethnic and religious groups
and among various sects, they bring war and destruction to facilitate
looting and plunder. As such to save our port, oil, gas, railway from
privatization means saving the very existence of Bangladesh. Our fight
will be the fight of the whole subcontinent, because we are fighting
against the same enemy. We have to fight jointly as we fought against
the British colonial power.. We have to denounce imperialist
globalization in a body. Imperialists instigate war among us for their
own benefit and to fish in the troubled water. That is why the
contribution alongside trade unionists of Bangladesh of trade unionists
from Pakistan and India is so important as a beacon of peace and
solidarity between the people of our subcontinent.
We call for
peace in the entire world. All people have the right to decide their own
fate. We call for the end of the occupation of Iraq and the immediate
withdrawal of all the foreign military forces under American command.
This convention gives its full support to all those in Bangladesh and
worldwide will demonstrate for those aims on March the 20th.
"Save
Chittagong, Save the country!" Chittagong is not for sale, the
country is not for sale. If our movement starting from this convention
is successful, we will be able to save our natural resources, our
industry and our agriculture.
The port of
Chittagong is the lifeline of the country. This is the only active
seaport, as the Mongla port is almost abandoned through conspiracy. If
the Chittagong port is taken over by the foreign ownership, the whole
country as its hinterland will go under the foreign rule. Chittagong is
the center of all economic activities of the country; if it goes at the
foreign hand, the whole country will be subjugated.
We will
definitely be successful in this movement from Chittagong because
Chittagong has a heroic history. The anti-British movement started from
this Chittagong. 1971 liberation war was started from this Chittagong.
During the liberation war, the American 7th fleet could not anchor in
Chittagong due to the heroic resistance from the people here.
Today,
jointly we declare that we will form a follow-up action committee to
continue and keep up the movement. With the mandate of 1000 persons
present here today, we declare that we will make today’s theme of
"Save Chittagong, Save the Country" as the main call of this
year's "May Day" rally. We call upon all organizations that
claim to defend workers' right and the sovereignty of our country to
unite around this call. In each town, village, plants, university let us form united
action committee under the banner of "The country is not for sale,
Chittagong is not for sale." -- "Save Chittagong, Save the
Country!" Together, united, let us prepare the 1st of May. On that
day we will renew our pledge to save the country from the clutches of
this privatization process. We will save our port, save our land, save
our industries, save our agriculture and save our natural
resources.
Today we
take oath that we will continue our fight. The working class
organization of the whole world will be in the forefront of this
movement. We call upon all international trade union federations to
support the movement of the Bangladeshi working class. We propose that
the trade union federations of Bangladesh address in common a letter to
ILO informing it of the threats against the workers' rights spelled out
by the ILO conventions and norms which would become effective if
Chittagong is sold out.
We believe
that the appeal of this declaration will unite all the exploited people
of the world. Movement & sacrifice of 1st May was started from
America and the American working class. Today, also we recognize and
value the contribution of the American port workers' representative from
ILWU local 10. By joining the movement to oppose the destruction of
Chittagong they really prove that "An Injury to One Is An Injury to
All."
CHITTAGONG THE 18th
March 20, 2004
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