Anti-plant movement could unseat govt
National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports will hold a grand rally in Dhaka on November 26, if the government does not back off from executing the coal-fired Rampal power plant by November 23.
The member secretary of the national committee, Anu Muhammad, on Saturday at a concluding session of a day-long sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar announced the next programmes.
Anu Muhammad set the deadline for the government to abandon the proposed coal-based thermal power plant at Bagerhat in Rampal in three months (by November 23), because what he said the plant would eventually destroy the Sunderbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world.
The national committee would announce tougher movements to compel the government to discard the project, warned Anu Muhammad.
The programmes included holding ‘Chalo Chalo Dhaka Chalo’ (Lets go to Dhaka) march which will be started on November 24, when people from across the country will assemble in Dhaka to join the grand rally, on November 26.
The committee will also hold another rally in front of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka soon to submit an ‘open letter’ to the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, asking him to scrap the power plant deal.
Politicians, academics and professionals at the sit-in called on the government to give up the thermal power plant.
National Committee held the day-long sit-in to drum up supports for their 7-point demand.
Dhaka University professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury urged the government to undo the project to save Sunderbans’ ecology from ruination.
‘We must save the forest as it saves us from natural calamities,’ Serajul Islam argued.
He called on the people to join in the movements under the umbrella of the national committee to ‘save the forest from the hands of the plunderers.’
Communist Party of Bangladesh president Mujahidul Islam Selim warned that the ruling government would face a mammoth movement if they continued with the project.
‘The mass movement could unseat the government,’ Selim said.
Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah, the convener of the national committee said, ‘We should save the forest for a better future of the country.’
He said the government is applying forces after failing to substantiate their arguments with scientific approach.
Columnist Syed Abul Maksud called on the government and made the same plea.
Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Khalequzzaman said the people of the country will not tolerate the destruction of the forest and the Mother Nature.
Chaired by Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah, politicians, Tipu Biswas, Saiful Huq, Zonayed Saki, Mushrefa Mishu, Ruhin Hossain Prince, Mosharraf Hossain Nannu, Quamrul Ahsan, Zahirul Islam, Masud Khan, academics, Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, Kollol Mostafa, Asif Nazrul and Moshahida Sultana also spoke at the sit-in.
Singer Arup Rahi and Kofil Ahmed render inspiring solo songs at the programme.
The cultural organizations, Udichi, Bibartan, Shyamageet, Bot-tala, Sarbajan, rendered people’s songs and drama groups Prachya Natya and Natoker Dal staged dramas.
Some young painters painted a large a canvas portraying the mangrove forest.
Source: New Age
