PROTEST OVER RAMPAL POWER PLANT
Hundreds of protesters of the long march ‘Save the Sundarbans’ start procession from Jessore town towards Khulna Friday morning.
The long march ‘Save the Sundarbans’ reached Khulna from Jessore Friday evening on its way to Rampal in Bagerhat.
More than one thousand protesters from the long march would hold a rally at Hadis Park in Khulna in the evening, reports our correspondent travelling with the long march.
Earlier, after staying at Jessore town Thursday night, the protesters started for Khulna city around 10:00am, reports our correspondent travelling with the long march.
Organised by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, the long march was initiated for the cancellation of the Rampal power plant project in Bagerhat, which is just 14 kilometres off the world’s largest mangrove forest the Sundarbans.
On Thursday, the protesters held a rally at Madhukhali upazila in Faridpur where Prof Anu Mohammad, member secretary of the committee, said if the Sundarbans is destroyed, it will leave a negative impact on the people of the southern region.
“If there is no sign of life left, what we will do with the electricity,” he said.
Meanwhile, back in Dhaka several eminent personalities in a joint statement expressed their solidarity with the long march Thursday.
After reaching Faridpur on Wednesday, the protesters stopped at Ambika Memorial Hall in the town.
At a rally in Faridpur, the participants vowed to resist the government move to set up the coal-fired Rampal power plant near the wilderness.
The long march, which is expected to reach Rampal on Saturday, will end with a rally at Digraj.
More than 1,200 protesters set out on the long march from the capital’s Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday.
When the oil gas protection body is carrying out the long march to save the Sundarbans, the government on Wednesday fixed October 22 for laying foundation stone of the power plant.
Bangladesh and India had inked a deal on April 20 to set up a 1,320MW coal-fired power plant at Rampal.
The project had drawn huge flak from environmentalists and eminent citizens, who say it would jeopardise the Sundarbans.
Source: The Daily Star