B737-700 FLT CREW DURING PUSHBACK AND ENG START HAS THE RAMP PERSONNEL OPEN THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WITHOUT COORD OR COMMUNICATING THE PROC TO THE COCKPIT.

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THE FLT WAS DELAYED A COUPLE OF HRS DUE TO THE LATE ARR OF THE ACFT. THE DOORS WERE CLOSED; THE 'BEFORE START' AND 'CLRED FOR START' CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE. THE ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT WAS TURNED ON. WHILE PUSHING BACK; WE WERE CLRED BY THE TUG DRIVER TO START #2 ENG. JUST AFTER THE START LEVER WAS RAISED TO IDLE; THE TUG DRIVER STOPPED THE PUSHBACK; AND KEYED IN SOMETHING ABOUT OPENING THE CARGO DOOR TO LOAD ANOTHER BAG. THE FO AND I CONFERRED ABOUT WHAT HE HAD SAID AND I REPLIED; 'I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF STARTING ENG #2. DO NOT OPEN THE CARGO DOOR.' THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I TRIED TO CONTACT THE TUG OPERATOR AGAIN AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. DURING THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO CONTACT HIM; THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN ENG #2 AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. I TRIED TO GET A HOLD OF HIM AGAIN TO NO AVAIL. I ASKED THE FO TO OPEN HIS WINDOW AND SEE IF HE COULD SEE ANYONE. HE RPTED BACK THAT IT LOOKED LIKE A RAMP EMPLOYEE WAS CLOSING THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR. THE FORWARD CARGO LIGHT WENT OUT. THE OPERATOR WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. MOMENTS LATER; THE TUG JOSTLED BACK AND FORTH AS IF SOMEONE GOT ON IT. I'M SPECULATING AT THIS POINT THAT THE TUG OPERATOR HAD GOTTEN OFF THE TUG TO HELP LOAD THE BAG; BUT THAT IS ONLY CONJECTURE. WHAT IS NOT CONJECTURE IS THAT WE WERE NOT IN COM. MOMENTS AFTER THIS; HE ANSWERED MY INTERCOM CALL. I THEN HAD A DISCUSSION WITH HIM ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. MIDWAY THROUGH THIS DISCUSSION; THE RAMP AGENT CAME ON AND I EXPLAINED MY CONCERNS TO HER. BOTH RAMP AGENTS WERE VERY RESPONSIVE AND APOLOGETIC. BOTH AGENTS SAID THEY UNDERSTOOD MY CONCERNS AND THAT IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THE ENGS WERE RESTARTED AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON FURTHER REVIEW DURING FLT; I COULD FIND NO GUIDANCE IN THE FOM ON THE 2 QUESTIONS I HAD: 1) IS IT PERMISSIBLE OR SAFE TO OPEN THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WHEN THE #2 ENG IS STARTING AND/OR STARTED; AND 2) IS IT PERMISSIBLE FOR A TUG DRIVER TO EITHER A) DISMOUNT THE TUG AND OR B) REMOVE HIS HEAD SET DURING AN ENG START AND/OR PUSHBACK?