Former MP M A Latif Owes Chattogram Chamber Tk 3 Crore in Rent
Collected Photo
M A Latif, a former Awami League member of parliament and former president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce, had rented 26,000 square feet of space across two floors in the country's only World Trade Center to establish a private university. However, not only has the university not been established, but the concerned authorities have also not paid any rent for three years despite using the space. Allegations have emerged that various language courses are currently being conducted there.
Under these circumstances, the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the owner of the World Trade Center, has issued a legal notice demanding the return of the two floors and the payment of outstanding rent exceeding three crore taka.
The notice was sent in July 2025 by Muhammad Anwar Pasha, the then administrator of the Chittagong Chamber. The notice instructed that the outstanding dues be paid within 15 days. Later, in September of the same year, a response to the notice was submitted through a lawyer on behalf of M A Latif. At the same time, a demand was also made for the refund of three months' advance rent.
Due to the non-payment of three years' outstanding rent and the lack of a satisfactory response from the university authorities, the Chittagong Chamber took control of the two floors about two months ago.
The Chamber authorities allege that despite not paying rent, the university authorities conducted various official activities on the premises, including the process of obtaining approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC), infrastructure construction, furniture installation, and Japanese language courses. The Chamber has suffered financial losses because the two floors remained tied up for a long time.
Nurul Absar Chowdhury, acting secretary of the Chittagong Chamber, said that after the political changeover, no one from the university authorities has come to the premises. They also did not formally hand over the floors. A legal notice was issued due to the long-standing rent arrears. Later, as the dues remained unpaid, the two floors were brought under the Chamber's control.
When asked about the next legal steps to recover the outstanding dues, he noted that the matter is sensitive. The new committee will make a decision on this issue.
It is known that after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, M A Latif is currently in jail. After establishing his sphere of influence at the Chittagong Chamber since 2009, he took the initiative in 2022 to establish the "University of Porto Grande."
To this end, a 13-member board of trustees was formed. It included several former leaders of the Chittagong Chamber, relatives of M A Latif, and his three sons.
According to the contract agreement, a rental agreement was signed on December 1, 2022, between the Chittagong Chamber and the proposed "University of Porto Grande" Board of Trustees. Under the agreement, a total of 26,206 square feet of space on the second and third floors of the World Trade Center was rented out at Tk 40 per square foot, amounting to a monthly rent of Tk 1,048,000. As security, the university authorities deposited three months' advance rent totaling Tk 3,145,000.
Although the rent was supposed to become effective after a six-month grace period as per the agreement, no rent was paid. According to the Chittagong Chamber's accounts, the outstanding rent had exceeded Tk 3,060,000 by July 2025.
Meanwhile, attempts were made to contact Omar Hajjaj, a trustee of the "University of Porto Grande" and former president of the Chittagong Chamber, but his comments could not be obtained.
