Govt urged to cancel Rampal Power Plant

Politicians, academics, cultural activists and journalists on Thursday called on the government to refrain from implementing coal-based Rampal Thermal Power Plant to save the Sunderbans, the biggest mangrove forest in the world.
They made the call at a solidarity rally organised by Democratic Left Alliance, a combine of eight left political parties, in front of the National Press club to save the Sunderbans from destruction.
The alliance also held solidarity rallies in districts to save the Sunderbans.
National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports member-secretary Anu Muhammad, also Jahangirnagar University professor, said that it would not be possible to create a Sunderbans, if it was destroyed.
If the Rampal Thermal Power Plant and Orion Thermal Power Plant were installed near the forest, the Sunderbans would be destroyed, he said.
He called on the government and Indian company representatives to refrain from making false statements that the Sunderbans would not be affected if the projects were implemented.
He called on the Indian company, to implement the project in India.
The people of Bangladesh would wage greater movements to compel the government to cancel the projects, Anu said.
Alliance coordinator Saiful Huq said that as the Awami League came in power through a ‘controversial’ general election held on January 5, 20014, they had no right to implement the controversial projects near the Sunderbans.
Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) leader Shubhrangshu Chakravartty said that the left parties would wage movements to save democracy and the Sunderbans.
Journalist Abu Syeed Khan called on the left parties to be united to wage movements to save the Sunderbans.
Chaired by Saiful Huq, the rally was addressed, among others, by cultural activist Mofizur Rahman Laltu, singer Arup Rahi, alliance leaders Abdus Salam, Mushrefa Mishu, Mosharraf Hossain Nannu and Nazrul Islam.

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