Bangladesh's dock workers escalated a strike on Saturday at the country's biggest port, Chattogram, protesting plans by the interim government to lease operating licences to a foreign company.

The walkout, which began in small numbers in October, has now grown to around 200 workers at the port -- Bangladesh's main trade gateway and a vital hub in the global garment supply chain.

"Foreign expert operators would increase the foreign investment and enhance the efficiency," Chattogram Port Authority chairman S. M. Moniruzzaman told AFP.

Bangladesh, the world's second-largest garment exporter, relies heavily on Chattogram port -- formerly known as Chittagong and strategically located on the Bay of Bengal -- for most of its imports and exports.

According to state-run news agency BSS, UAE-bas

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