The national committee to protect, oil, gas, mineral resources, power and ports observes a general strike in the capital for six hours today to press home its seven-point demand including cancellation of the deals signed with ConocoPhillips for the exploration and extraction of gas in two offshore gas fields.
Leaders of the organisation at a press conference in the capital on June 18, called the general strike from 6:00am till 12 noon for today.
They termed unequal and contrary to national interest
the deals Petrobangla signed with the US oil company on June 16 for exploration and extraction of gas in block 10 and 11 in accordance with the model production and sharing contract 2008.
The committee also holds demonstrations and forms human chains on main roads across the country from 11:00am today, the committee leaders said.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh has also called a general strike in Dhaka for six hours today in protest against the removal of the phrase ‘Absolute faith and trust in the Almighty Allah’ from the constitution by the 15th amendment passed by parliament on June 30.
On June 30, they called a daylong general strike for today and later on Saturday cut short the strike hours to six hours because of Ratha Yatra celebrations of the Hindus.
The national committee’s member secretary Anu Muhammad at a press conference at the central office of the Communist Party of Bangladesh on Saturday urged that the government should cancel the deals with ConocoPhillips and not to sign such unequal deals with any foreign companies.
The committee will announce a tougher movement after today’s strike.
The programmes may be a four-month package beginning in July and it could include countrywide mass contract, two long or road marches — one from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar and the other from Dhaka to Sunamganj crossing Netrakona touching the Suntra gas field and a programme of siege of Dhaka towards the end of October when thousands of people from across the country will march to the capital, leaders of the organisation said.
In keeping with the deals, ConocoPhillips will be able to export 80 per cent of the gas extracted as liquefied natural gas, the leaders alleged.
It will, moreover, be difficult for Bangladesh to feed into the national grid the 20 per cent of the gas the country will get as it would be costly, they said.
Anu Muhammad at the briefing on Saturday alleged that law enforcers had stopped processions of the national committee in different city areas and picked up some activists.
‘We want to observe our programmes. We call on the people observe the programmes as it is aimed at protecting the natural resources of the country,’ Anu Muhammad said
Justice Golam Rabbani and the organisation’s convener Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah also spoke at the press conference.
National committee leaders and activists on Saturday held a rally in front of the National Press Club to drum up support for the general strike.
Activists of the committee also brought out torch processions in Purana Paltan and other parts of the city, the leaders said.
Jatiya Mukti Council and two other left parties also extended their support for the general strike.
-With New Age input
