Dhaka, Jan. 29 -- The High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the legality of the ongoing process for a contract between Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and a foreign company to operate the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT)

The court's move effectively removes the last legal obstacle to the deal, say legal experts.

The ruling was delivered on Thursday by a single bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed, after a prior split verdict by a two-judge bench prompted the chief justice to form this third bench for final adjudication.

The writ petition was filed by Mirza Walid Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Young Economists Forum, naming the shipping secretary, the CPA chairman, and the PPP authority chief executive as respondents.

Lawye...