Drop Ramal thermal power plant project

Leaders of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resource, Power and Ports on Monday called on the government to drop the proposed coal-based thermal power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat to save the Sunderbans, the biggest mangrove forest in the world.
The organisation on the day held protest rallies across the country and centrally held a rally in front of National Press Club in demand on cancellation of the power plant and pressing its seven-point demand.
Sheikh Muhammad Shahedullah, convener of the committee, called on the people to stay united and join the movement to save national wealth including the Sunderbans.
‘We will not allow anybody to destroy the national wealth and want to use the wealth for the people,’ Shahidullah said.
Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the committee, said the government was going to implement the power plant to be in good book of the Indian government.
‘But the people of the country would not allow implementation of the project as it would be destructive for the Sunderbans and the ecology,’ Anu said.
‘The Indian government will use their excess coal in the project which would be harmful for nature of our country,’ Anu added.
He called on the government to give a free and fair referendum and he expected that 99 per per cent people would oppose the project, Anu said.
He also called on the government to drop the project within July 27, otherwise it would hold match towards the prime minister’s office on July 28, Anu announced.
Muhammad Tanzeemuddin Khan, Dhaka University teacher and also a leader of the committee, said that the government was going to implement the power plant ignoring people’s opinion against the project.
Shamima Lutfa, another teacher of DU, said the government could shift the venue of the plant project away from the Sunderbans.
Ruhin Hossain Prince, central leader of Communist Party of Bangladesh, called on the government to scrap all the deals signed with Indian companies for implementing the project.
Leaders of the national committee Saiful Huq, Zonayed Saki, Bazlur Rashid Firoz, Manas Nandi, Mosharraf Hossain Nannu, Mushrefa Mishu, Jahangir Alam Fazlu and others attended the programme.
The rally was followed by a protest procession that paraded different city roads.
Moreover, leaders of Jatiya Mukti Council at a separate protest rally in front the Press Club, also called on the government to drop the power plat project as it was contrary to national interests.
Foiezul Hakim, secretary of the party, said when in India the coal-based power plants were dropped, but here the government was pushing for harmful power plant.
Central leaders of the party Abdus Satter, Michel Chakma, Parvez Helal and others spoke at the rally.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net